Red Snow
by The Inspectre
Summary: After a dangerous encounter with a vampire Ruby might be turning and Weiss might be coming back for another taste of her blood. Another confrontation looks to be inevitable, except.. Weiss is ill? Will this end in death for one of them or will a strangest love bloom? Sequel to Blood-Red Like Roses but can be read standalone. Sorta modern AU with supernatural/fantasy touches.
1. Aching Blood

_Inspectre Online._

 _*just like jams along to Sabaton for a couple minutes before he stops to start the A/N* "Leading the waaaaay!" That song (Ghost Division) and Night Witches are two of my favorites._

 _Okeydokey artichokey. Here we go! The sequel story to Blood-Red Like Roses! Now first things first, you don't HAVE to go back and read that to get this since I'll summarize it in this first chapter, and you may not want to since it's M-rated (after some deliberation I decided to drop the rating for this one) or you might, but anyhoot.._

 _For those new to this fic and not coming from said oneshot (I finally managed to write one!, though technically while it can be ended as is this IS the canon sequel so eh) a few pointers. This is a modern world (still Remnant though) with supernatural/fantasy touches that are sorta common knowledge. There's Dust and Hunters but no academies or anything. Ages are as follows with Ruby being 16-17, Weiss being '18', Yang is 20, and Blake is 19._

 _To answer the mail I got from the prequel story.._

 _At awesome sauces12: Here ya go!_

 _At Rollercoaster: Heh. Spinned your head. You're a rollercoaster._

 _At Topaz Smith: Again, here ya go! People seem to like doing vampire!Ruby but I don't think she'd fit the bill. Weiss on the other hand, Wynaut?!_

 _Now.. Decepticons, transform and roll out! Because Autobots are meh. MEH I say. (go Bonecrusher wooo #HateEverything #GrumpyCat'sTransformer)_

 _Also if you don't get the title.. Rubies and roses (some) are red, Weiss is German for white and Schnee is German for snow, so when red and snow mix.. Voila!_

 _Strawberry snowcone._

* * *

She fell back on her bed, hands on her face and roughly pressing against it. Talk about a flip turn upside down..

Her name was Ruby Rose, adoptive daughter of Taiyang Xiao Long and Raven Branwen, the latter being her aunt and sister of her biological father Qrow Branwen. Before his demise at the hands of a group of monsters one night when they raided their home, she lived next door to the Xiao Longs with her mother Summer. After that fateful event Ruby was taken in and raised alongside their own daughter Yang.

Which while not unprecedented given that their world was populated by things not- Well not of said world like dragonfolk, werewolves, and other humanoid creatures of mythos, it was nevertheless a tragic event for the girl. One that scarred her deeply and gave her an instinctive apprehensiveness of inhumans. Though as Yang tried to assure her they weren't all bad.

After what happened last night however she was having a difficult time believing that. Ruby, now that she was old enough was employed and working at the shop her 'parents' owned, the Xiao Long cafe. So she helped by delivering orders, manning the register, taking care of the place.. Partially to repay them for the kindness they've showed and partially to earn a little extra money like her cousin was doing. Sister, Yang would adamantly state, but since Raven and Qrow were siblings..

When she was closing it up and about to head home, a little trip outside to start throwing out garbage lead to a dangerous encounter with a vampire. None other than the pale classy girl that had been visiting their cafe for the past two weeks and possibly scoping out her next target. Ruby had actually grown to like her visits even though she hardly talked or interacted with them. She was pretty, spoke softly if briefly, had an alluring aura about her..

One that concealed her sinister and twisted dark side, this she experienced personally after the vampiress scared her inside and captured her, doing unspeakable things to the poor girl and drinking her blood. This had been completely unexpected since from what she could see Weiss (a fitting name for the white haired and pale woman) walked in the daylight and wore a cross to pin her cape. Perhaps the glittering of her skin had something to do with it, maybe she wore some kind of Dust that blocked the sun's rays. As for her power, something like a mere silver cross wouldn't deter a royal breed or an ancient vampire. She'd even come into her home without permission and reclothed her and put her in bed. Which confused Ruby quite a bit. Was it some kind of sick love or simply looking out for her new toy/feeding victim?

Either way, she was coming back for another taste. Thanks to the note Weiss had left by her bedside lamp which to sum up stated that the vampiress would return, likely on Friday. That gave her a few days to prepare. Both at work and at home. Ruby (un)wisely chose to inform nobody of this occurrence. Taiyang was sick enough as it is right now with a fever and Raven had to stay home and take care of him. Yang would undeniably go berserk and try to kill her the first chance she got, which she was a very talented boxer and knew how to use Fire Dust for searing punches with her homemade pair of battlegauntlets.

"Hey.. Sis. You in here? Sorry I'm late, I had something come up and- Urp. Sorry!" Or not in her present condition.

The tall and buxom blonde had just entered her room, and looked incredibly worse for wear. She was holding onto what was left of her cafe uniform, the apron and cap missing and the clothes shredded in many places. Her decency was barely protected and the exposed parts of her body showing what looked like numerous scratch marks and claw wounds. They weren't deep but they were fresh, almost brand new. Like she'd been in a fight with something or someone with sharp nails. Her skin was flushed and her normally 'perf hair' astray.

"Y-Yang are you okay?! What the heck hap-" *slam* Ruby attempted to question her but not even two steps later the woman had barreled into her bathroom and locked the door, audible sounds of heaving and vomiting coming from within. Gross.. But she was incredibly worried for her so despite the weak mutterings of 'go away' and 'I'll be fine' she stayed by the door.

..Several minutes later Yang came back out, much paler than before and just plopped on Ruby's bed facefirst.

"Rough night?"

"Don't get me started. Don't wanna talk about it.."

Well then.

"Can I.. Get you anything? Or you just gonna lay there like a bump on a log?" Ruby asked, sitting down and sidling over beside Yang. She smelled a little different than normal but Ruby couldn't place what it was or what exactly was different. Wait, had she always smelled that way? Why was she picking up on this in the first place? A comforting hand was placed on her cousin's back, gently rubbing it up and down and then pausing. Suddenly a different smell assaulted her sense, a bit coppery at one point yet very smoky like burning wood another. The kind they used for barbeque. For reasons unknown it was rather delectable and enticing.. And this alarmed her quite a bit. Even as she reached up and gripped her shoulder without meaning to.

"I'm fine and not now Rubes.. I don't wanna play. I'm tired, and hurting all over. Unless you're gonna give me a back massage. Just, ow don't squeeze so tight! Hey. Hey, what are you doing?" She exclaimed, lilac eyes widening as she was turned over and her stomach sat on. There was a strange look in the other girl's eyes, something akin to an animal watching someone eat and hoping for a little treat. In other words begging. Wanting. Yearning. "Ruby. Cut it out, you're creeping me out. I don't-"

Yang froze. From this vantage she could see it. Two pinprick holes on her neck, and they certainly weren't from a hickey. Those silver eyes of hers were dilated pretty far as well. Before she could do anything Ruby had descended, both hands on her collar and teeth bared. Her lips pressed to the blonde's neck and enamel grazed skin but didn't break it. Somehow she had managed to stop herself and after blinking several times would recoil in shock, blushing furiously and apologizing.

"Wow Ruby, I've heard of the phrase kissing cousins but I didn't see that coming." She joked, internally screaming at what just transpired. Her cousin was turning into one of _them_. It wouldn't be complete until her first feeding but she'd certainly have some vampiric characteristics until then. Yang could already see it. The tint of crimson in silver, the fact she had her blinds closed when she usually had them open, her paling skin.. Wait she was already pale. Though the process was making it worse.

"Oh god I'm so sorry I don't know what came over me! I just.. I smelled something coming from you and the next thing I know I was about to kiss you or something?"

"Relax, it's some perfume I got after we closed." Total lie, but she didn't want Ruby to start panicking any more than she was. Though something had to be done about her turning for now she felt it'd be better to not say anything unless the girl found out about it first. Yang would try and sort things out for her on her own. After all a cure for this wasn't easy to get, or cheap. Dad didn't need any more stress either and she was a capable woman. "Was supposed to make me more attractive but uh.. Not that much. Wanna know how I got these scars? Rabid shirtless wolf boy. I had to knock his lights out."

"Jeez! What'd you do, buy it from some spooky cloaked salesperson?"

"Something like that."

"..."

Still sitting atop Yang's stomach Ruby placed her hands on her waist and pursed her lips. Then with a devious chuckle she lurched forward and started tickling her helpless cousin, since she had little strength to resist. Enough to grab a pillow and slap her upside the head when it was time to stop though. Panting and short of breath the blonde fell back over, placing her weapon under her head and letting out a long sigh.

"I'm gonna go make some breakfast, be right back. Sunny side up or scrambled?" The brunette asked as she got up from the floor and stood at the bedside. When Yang mumbled that she didn't want anything but sleep and then a shower she got a 'nope' in return. Conceding defeat she settled on the latter as Ruby left the room.

Thoughts of her own wild adventures last night filled her mind after the door shut, groaning and rubbing her stomach before glancing up at the ceiling. What was she going to tell everyone..? Damn that werecat girl..

...

 ***a few hours later***

...

After breakfast was served and Yang had passed into slumber, Ruby took the dishes away and carried her to her own room. She just barely managed to avoid Raven as the mysterious odachi-wielding swordswoman went into the kitchen herself to make something for Taiyang. That would have raised some interesting questions but if her cousin didn't want to disclose whatever happened even to her, then perhaps it would be best to keep it secret. Though both of them should have known better than to keep all these secrets, perhaps it'd play out for the best one could hope.

Speaking of which, over the next few days which were thankfully Weiss-free (though Ruby would swear up and down she felt like she was being watched every time she went to and from the Xiao Long cafe) preparations were made for the inevitable showdown when the vampiress returned to stake her claim. Or at least that's when she said she'd return. Her room was trapped and stocked with weapons and items, their service dog and lovable corgi Zwei was put on high alert and moved into her room for the weekend.. Now all she could do was wait. Wait for the storm to come. Ruby was tense the entire day, trying hard to not let it impact her work performance. Sun and Jaune picked up that something was wrong but got nowhere fast in trying to pry for answers. It didn't help that while delivering an order to some of her customers the subject of the missing Four Feathers was overheard. Cardin, Sky, Russel, Dove.. The jerks who picked on her and embarrassed her in front of the whole store the day _that_ happened. Apparently they'd stopped showing up at some bar they went to and the owner called their families. Well of course they would. After the incident with the tomato juice getting spilled on her Weiss had promptly lured them outside before closing and ripped their throats out in the alleyway and tossed them out like trash.

Ruby saw the horrifying image every time she went to take the garbage out from then on. The image of their bloody corpses laying in the dumpster. All she wanted at the moment was to go home and crawl into bed and get this over with. Not that she'd be sleeping. No. She'd be taking an energy pill to stay awake and ready for when Weiss came sneaking in.

Yang still hadn't disclosed what had happened to her but the countless scratches and claw marks that were visible even after changing into something less torn up and shredded eventually lead to her mother finding out about it. Luckily nobody else, even Ruby herself saw the bite marks on her own neck until they healed. The subject of her cousin's scars and cuts was being fiercely debated when she got home that night, she and Raven arguing about it in the kitchen as the girl slipped through and snuck upstairs. She'd be fine without dinner since she got something from the store on the way over. Besides she'd rather avoid the little storm brewing. Those who thought Yang was overprotective of Ruby would find a much more terrifying threat lying with their mother. People who had lived to tell of her wrath (primarily by not being a target of it) spoke of her being like a human monster.

Quickly showering and changing from her new work uniform into her pajamas Ruby slid into bed and shut off the light. She also locked her door with a privacy note on the outside and brought Zwei up onto the bed with her. Holy water on the bedstand, a stake under her pillow.. ..Zwei's fur puffed with garlic powder.. The dog wasn't really bothered by it. Besides he could tell something was upsetting his master and while small he had a lot of strength for his breed so he made a good guard. Seeing the things Ruby was doing he somehow put two and two together and made sure to stick extra close to her.

Final checks done, the girl drew her covers over and lay there. She felt uneasy, hesitant, unsure if she really should be trying to do this alone. If it was successful then Weiss would be no longer be a problem and she could breathe easy again. If not.. Well.. Ruby didn't want to dwell on that. The vampiress DID say she wouldn't kill her but things could change. Then again Ruby had already tried it once. Then yet again all she had had was a hastily made wooden implement. A wounded animal tended to be violent and holy water and garlic were more likely to work at first since she had not that much strength or speed by comparison, not to beat Weiss in a fight and do something with a more proper stake before she turned on her and killed her in a fit of rage. Besides she did seem really strong..

Speaking of turning, Ruby had noticed something was wrong with her body sometime after the incident with almost biting Yang. Sunlight hurt her eyes and felt like it was sunburning her on exposed parts of her body, being in it directly too long made her ill, she even had trouble with a garlic covered Zwei being so close but it was tolerable. Accidentally getting a bit of the holy water on her skin earlier had her hissing since it felt like it was boiling.. Though the exact connection was never made Ruby figured Weiss had made her sick somehow. If it got worse she'd be forced to tell someone. It was getting harder to hide by the day. Especially with the strange thirst she was starting to feel in the pit of her stomach. That coupled with dark and unspeakable thoughts that infested her thoughts and dreams, some of them involving Yang and a scene like before where she pinned her down and bit into her neck.. It was like a twisted disease.

Of course if everything went well then perhaps it'd simply cure itself. That's how it went in the movies. Those afflicted by a vampire could be cured if their sire or the head of their bloodline was destroyed. So tonight movie mythos would be tested Ruby though as she clutched the container of holy water and the wooden stake under her covers, and she waited.

And she waited.

And she waited some more.

Night turned to midnight, midnight turned to 2 AM, two AM turned to morning and yet there was no sign of the white haired vampire. Was this all an elaborate prank and she was going to strike some other time? Or perhaps something had happened.. Ruby didn't want to relax or fall asleep in case Weiss had predicted she'd do this and waited for the perfect moment but eventually the effects of the energy pill would wear off and before she knew it she was out.

...

 ***in a distant location, the current time unknown***

...

Far beyond the city of Vale in what could only be described as 'twisted lands' a castle loomed over the nearby territories. The skies were full of purple/black clouds with mountain ranges that some individuals would swear had gaunt faces under the shadow of the permanent eclipse that barred the sun from shining on them. Dead trees, some of which were bearing bloody red fruit dotted the empty expanse with nothing aside but swirling dust, ash storms, and jagged rock/purple crystal formations over what appeared to be gray sands filling it otherwise.

The castle itself was a tall and imposing work of Gothic architectural magnificence with four black spires atop it and stone guard towers and walls surrounded by a moat filled with luminescent glowing green.. Stuff. Stuff with what appeared to be skeletal remains floating within. The ring shaped pool was also releasing some kind of noxious suffocating gas that ensured only the dead may enter its halls past the drawbridge that lead from the ashy barren world beyond. Yet two people stood guard at the portcullis that barred those that would attempt to force their way in. One behind and one in front. Two human looking knights dressed in ebon armor with icy blue demonic eyes engraved into the knees of their sabatons, elbows of their vambraces, and pauldrons with large white bats emblazoned on both the front of their armor and their kiteshields. Red crystals were embedded into the foreheads of their sallets as well. When they saw someone approaching and stomping towards the gates they both withdrew swords with silver hilts and blades formed of stained glass. Yet when they identified said figure they were immediately sheathed and both males stood at attention.

"Princess Zahne!" The one inside exclaimed while the other simply stared.

It was Weiss, who actually was a member of the Schnee family bloodline but due to certain circumstances was forced into the guise of a member of the Zahne family while staying in the city state of Vale. This was because of the fact that the Schnee family wasn't very well liked outside of the kingdom of Atlas, and especially when the vengeful minotaur king Adam Taurus rose to power and publicly claimed many decades ago that he'd behead any members of the bloodline he found crawling about in his domain with his waraxe Tarvos. There was bad blood between him and the family. Long story. Though that assertion of owning Vale had gotten him some unwanted attention from the other inhumans (and some daring human Hunters) populating it it never paid to not be careful.

So when she drew near to the two of them she merely nodded and growled for them to open the portcullis so she could enter. The female had to this way because otherwise Zahne family archers placed within some of those onyx spire towers would make a pincushion out of her before she could even fly close enough to take a picture. ..At least if it weren't for the fact that the Schnee and the Zahne family were intertwined by marriages and thus united bloodlines. Hence why they extended such a hospitality as sheltering her when she came to Vale. In truth she was simply too weak to really use her powers at the moment, like flight or transformation. While the interior guard went to open the gate, the other took note of the princess' rather exhausted and sickly demeanor. Her hair was down and disheveled, not up in its usual ponytail and her eyes half-lidded. Ragged breathing, grit teeth, one hand massaging the base of her throat, it was as if she were drained of all vitality. Her clothes weren't exactly orderly or wrinkle-free either, as if she hadn't bothered to fix them after her previous slumber.

"You look like Death warmed over Miss Zahne, party too hard last night?"

Oh how she disliked this one. He was annoying, talked too much, and always had some kind of snippy remark. The other at least didn't ask too many questions, never said more than was necessary, and did his job with haste. Unfortunately for his companion she was _not_ in a good mood and with a snarl reached out with gleaming sharp nails, taking his head off with a single swipe before storming past in a huff. The armored head clattered a few times on the wooden bridge before falling over the edge and into the acidic noxious moat with a splash, the body it had been attached to stumbling back and crashing to the ground.

"M-Ma'am. R-Right this way."

"Thank you."

Weiss kept going, yanking open the wooden double doors and slamming them shut behind her as the first knight watched with a fearful look, breathing in relief when her footsteps faded. Looking back at his apparently lifeless comrade he'd cross his arms and shake his head.

"You don't learn do you my friend?"

"..."

"*sigh* I shall return."

Several minutes later after having jumped into the moat he'd be making his way back up to the bridge, that same head under one arm and the other holding his sword which he was using like a climbing pick.

"Next time you can collect your own head. That place is terrifying."

"What do you expect from something called the necrotizing fog of undeath."

"And I see your body hasn't moved an inch, the least you could do is keep your eyes on the- Oh I'm sorry."

"Bite me."

The two dullahans continued to bicker, somehow not noticing the spectral black phantom that soared just overhead and right down through the bars of the closing portcullis. The archers stationed across the castle seemed to not notice it either, or just didn't care. Perhaps the Zahne family crest of a four winged white bat on its cape was why. Slipping inside the wooden doors like smoke, it reformed on the other side into the courtyard.

Like the land outside the area was gray and ashy, yet those same dead trees filled it and bore many of the same red heart-shaped fruits. There was also what looked like the entrance to a crypt near the guard barracks by one of the towers in the corner from which several heavily robed figures were exiting, followed by skeletal minions carrying things like books and crates of miscellaneous items. As soon as this spectral figure was fully composed it approached Weiss, who was seemingly waiting for the person to show up because the second they came into reach she spun on her heel. A disgruntled and rather pained expression hastily transformed into one of genuine happiness as the vampiress beamed up at them.

"I was hoping you'd be home by the time I arrived.."

"I do apologize, but I had an errand I simply had to take care of on the way. My, you don't look so well. Are you ill?"

"I'll be fine, for now. That's actually why I called for you. I have a.. Problem."

"Well then let's discuss it inside. It must be serious."

"Of course, sister."

* * *

 _HEEEERE'S JOHNNY- *dropkick* GTFO my A/N!_

 _So here's Winter! She sorta married into the Zahne family (Zahne is German for fang, vampires have fangs and Weiss means white so her disguise name means white fang I know I'm a freakin' creative genius)._

 _What's next? Well you'll have to wait to find out! I may or may not have time to write in the morning but after this goes up I'm probably starting on the next chapter right away. I know, my schedule has been sporadic. I made you wait a week for Blood-Red Like Roses and then KAPOW first chapter of the sequel like two days later._

 _Speaking of sequels, what's Yang's deal? Why's she all scratched up? Why's she sick? Before any more questions are asked, I mustache you to shave them for later. After all that's actually gonna be covered in another story. Not a sequel but rather a side story that takes place in the same timeline._

 _I'll be posting an update notice in Blood-Red Like Roses to let followers of it know it's been continued too 'cause I'm nice like that._

 _*inserts shameless word padding because 4,477 words after a previous check is so close to 4,500 and he just wants that milestone, so he takes the time to talk about how different Fire Emblem Fates' shipping is compared to Awakening, particularly the extra stuff they added and the 3D confessions/bonding events/ally chats as well as the changes to the Pair Up system*_

 _Inspectre Offline._


	2. Cursed Love?

_Inspectre Online._

 _*sets down this giant box labeled 'Mail' and pulls out an Artix and Sepulchure figure, among a couple other nerdy things along with review letters*_

 _At Gropau25: Sabatooooon! Hammerfall. Blind Guardian. Stratovarius. Brocas Helm. Manowar. To name a few other of my old favorites._

 _At TheSuperLucius: *wonders what makes him super* Glad you like it! You'll have your fill!_

 _Alrighty! Time for chapter 2! Let's see if I can knock this (blood)sucker out in a day. Yay for spontaneous scheduling! Two chapters in a row? My will be done! We gotta find out what Weiss' deal is. Vampires don't get sick, right? Although there are some kinds of sick that or more mental than biological.. Also we get to see vampire!Winter! How frickin' awesome is that? And yes by extent her name means 'Winter Fang' or 'Fang of Winter' if you wanna be fancy._

 _*post-writing* HA, nailed it. Maybe I can pull off chapter 3 tomorrow! Yeah we're kinda on vacay now sooo yeah. I do have to work some days though. Money's tight._

* * *

The other white haired woman looked down at Weiss with a smile. Winter Zahne/Schnee, her older sister and an actual princess of the Zahne royal vampiric family. While certainly her sibling was a fair maiden, Winter was a stunning epitome of vampiric beauty. A full and voluptuous figure clad in black and icy white/blue. A cape similar to Weiss' covered most of it but instead of a spiked mantle it had a pair of smaller wings extending from the nape and it was fastened by a black geometric heart with a snowflake in the center. Beneath, she wore a pair of black garters and opaque white stockings over slender and smooth legs with a pair of bondage heel boots strapped to her feet. White silken gloves extended to her elbows, open at the fingertips to allow her claw-like nails to poke through. One of those fingers sported a white ring with a red diamond. Around her rather ample chest was a black overbust corset dress with a flowing black skirt that came down to just above her knees, both of which were laced with white. The first however had a gleaming golden pendant shaped like a snowflake hanging over it, connected to a golden chain. A gift from her husband.

While hard to tell under her asymmetrically cut bangs of snow white hair which was pulled up in the back into a chignon bun to reveal feminine facial features that could be immortalized into a marble shape worthy of gods, an exactly same case of heterochromia met her younger sister's own. One eye of black and red and one of white and blue. Normally with some exceptions all vampires gained two of the former but the Schnee family was special as one of their eyes was the conduit and projector of their dark powers. To this end they could craft animate objects from ice created via moisture in the air or twist shadows to their will. Most vampires served the darkness but with this family? The darkness served _them._ Hence, that one eye remained pure and untainted by the corruption. Or evolution if you asked any blutsauger after the turning.

These formerly mirthful eyes narrowed slightly, getting a good look at Weiss' condition. In all her many years she'd never seen her sibling in a state like this before. She was a gifted fighter so it's not like she had to worry about struggling for blood and even supernatural diseases and illnesses were normally thwarted by their pedigree bloodline..

"Well then let's discuss it inside. It must be serious."

"Of course, sister."

The two females turned towards the main entrance to the castle, past the rest of the courtyard and the group of necromancers and their summons. One of those skeletons stopped and waved, and Weiss waved back. Pretty sure that one was Charles the Immortal.

"So.. How are things? Must be nice living out here in such a splendid grandeur of.. Dusty-ness." She said rather apprehensively. The hinterlands of Atlas were much more preferable in her opinion. Vast expanses of snow, fields of sweet memories, icy flowers and white trees.. Not to mention the massive castle town that the Schnee family ruled at the heart. Well technically the kingdom's capital of Atlas which doubled as name for country was the heart but outside that same territory was the bustling residence of the royal family, which was also home to many different monster races and humans that sought peaceful coexistence. Unfortunately that sentiment wasn't shared by many outside so the Schnee family was seen a bit of a radical one, paving the way for future relations.

The only relation Weiss saw though was hunter and food. Humans? She merely referred to them as prey. Little did she know that'd be changing, one very specific case at a time.

"I admit it's not to my loving taste but it grows on you." Winter responded with a smile, nodding to the second group of dullahan knights that barricaded the entrance to the castle itself. Unlike the squires at the front they were very serious and more diligent warriors. The pride of the Zahne family. A single salute was offered by the closest as the others knelt, one that did neither immediately opening the door and bowing her head to escort the vampiresses inside.

"It grows a lot of things I bet, I can taste it in the air."

"Come now, this is your home as well. So.. Dearest sister. What IS troubling you? I've never seen you in such a pitiable condition before." Winter asked unable to hide the worry edging in on the tone in her voice. Sure she had a penchant for tough love but it covered earnest love deep inside.

"It's.. Not here. Somewhere private please."

"Very well."

Across the golden red carpet that stretched to the currently empty but not unoccupied thrones, past multitudes of servants and other castlegoers. Through stone halls and past paintings of older Zahne family royals (some of which were still alive), and eventually into the royal dining hall where knife-bedecked battle maid(en)s and wolflike butlers were moving to and fro in preparation for dinner. Taking two seats at the end by themselves Winter and Weiss sat across from eachother, the latter facetabling onto the oaken long table.

".." Winter reached out to place a comforting hand on her head, getting the attention of two nearby servants whom she waved away after inquiring of her condition.

"What's wrong? You do look quite ill."

"I.. I haven't fed. Not once in almost.. Ten days?"

"Dear gods, why not? Even someone like you must drink blood at least once a week to maintain yourself!" She almost shouted, eyes widening in surprise.

"I can't. I can't do it. Every time I try to feed lately I just get sick. Like I don't _want_ to do it. No matter who or what I try to get it from their blood just smells foul and bland." Weiss groaned, folding her arms on the table and plopping her face back down on them. Her sister bit her lip and drew her hand back, rubbing her chin with it and hmm'ing to herself. That sounded like some kind of disease alright but what kind?

"When did you notice this starting? Perhaps you picked it up from one of your victims, or maybe it was something else you ate."

"Well.." Weiss looked up, scrunching her face in concentration. "I think it was the first time I tried to feed after I bit this one girl. The one from that cafe in downtown Vale? I'd been going there for about two weeks. I told you about those pigs I slaughtered after they picked on her didn't I? They even got juice all over my favorite dress!" She exclaimed, slightly baring her fangs. So apparently it started with this female..

"Was she a demihuman of some sort?"

"No, just a regular human."

"Preposterous.. There's no way a human could carry something fatal to a vampire, much less to a superior breed like ours." The older vampiress adamantly stated, narrowing her gaze and tapping her clawed fingers on the table.

"Except a wooden stake to the heart."

"Who wouldn't that kill?"

"A zombie."

"Touche. At least your sense of humor still works."

"At least I have one."

"It got shot off in the war. Very sad."

Both of them stared at eachother, both breaking out into gigglefits. Winter was first to stop, folding her arms and tapping her heeled foot under the table. This was disconcerting.. Something that was afflicting her younger sister and she couldn't figure out what.

While she became lost in thought Weiss would glance aside at the room's interior. Stone here and there, interrupted only spottily by scant things like the furniture (including a rather large grandfather clock) or an occasional portrait of some kind. Wrought iron candelabras hanging overhead of which cold blue water candles flickered, emanating an alluring and soothing sensation to most nonhuman creatures. The stained glass windows at the side facing out onto the grounds looked rather pretty in that light. Except for one which was warped and distorted to allow a single large bat to pass through. For the brief moment it was visible it appeared to have four wings, significant of its Zahne blood. Those wings' membranes were white with red 'fingers', connected to a black furry body illuminated by glowing silver eyes.

That moment after a puff of black smoke along with the swish of a newly formed coat would lead to the appearance of a tall and somewhat muscular figure with medium-length and brilliantly blonde sleeked back hair that spiked at the very ends. While obviously much much older, his visible age looked to be only in his late twenties. Black irises with golden pupils immediately moved to Winter's eyes and their owner would move with a swift stride to her side. The coattails of his brown leather duster coat flowed behind him, open to reveal a fully button down black work shirt and the shoulders of said coat layered and thick to match his rough hide leggings, stetson hat, leather belt, hide boots, leather gloves.. A stark contrast to the classy elegance that most elder vampires chose to wear he went for the dashing handsome cowboy approach. Oh how he worked it too. Considering the days of the westerns had been current events when he was alive. A certain vampiress had been drawn in by his charm the first time her mismatched eyes were laid upon him.

Hence the exact same kind of ring gripping one of his covered fingers, the hand it was attached to laying on his wife's shoulder as she turned her head to face him momentarily before moving back to her sister. Others that were inside the room at the time of his appearance immediately bowed or curtsied before moving back to their tasks, carrying platters and centerpieces back and forth.

"Lucyyyy I'm hooome, you've got some 'splainin' to do." He said in a teasing voice, giving a slight joking shake of his head. Apparently Winter didn't find it as funny because she reached back and up without looking, darkness coagulating around her wrist and extending like an extra length to her arm to grab his pointed beard and pull him down to eye level.

"So do you, dearest husband. Where have you been?" She asked, looking rather cross as he tried to explain himself before having his pride torn off. Well his second pride anyway.

"Owowow jus' takin' care of some business! I know you didn't really mean it but I took it 'pon myself to go deal with those 'taurds. Some of 'em anyway. I even brought you a gift now would you please let me go snowball?"

A figurine seemingly carved from some kind of large horn into the shape of an angel was withdrawn from a satchel and held out for her to see. Accepting this rather nice peace offering with a smile and the faintest pink cheeks Winter released him, muttering something about how he was forgiven 'this time'. The male would then caress his chin, chuckling and glancing over at the other Schnee. "Well now who's this pretty little snow angel? Ya must be Weiss, right? I-" He paused, looking a little taken aback at her appearance. It was obvious to anyone she wasn't exactly in prime condition and with a frown he'd pull up a seat next to Winter after setting the horn figure on the table. "What's got you lookin' like a hungry dog in the rain?" *smack* "Hey now I'm jus' curious! She's my family too y'know."

"Apparently she's sick. This started after she fed on some human girl over in Vale. Not that I'm surprised. The standard of living is lower there than it is in Atlas. Maybe she's contracted something we haven't heard of before. I've seen how filthy humans can be if they're not raised properly."

"Don't talk about Ruby like that!" Weiss snipped at her sister, growling a bit before immediately squeaking and apologizing. This got interesting reactions from the other two vampires who both rose an eyebrow and shared a look. Something was already cooking in the male's head that Winter didn't seem to catch. With a chuckle he then extended his hand to introduce himself. One would think that being her brother-in-law for what felt like ages would mean they'd have met at least once. However her older sister had gotten married in Vale instead of Atlas and Weiss never left her home much. 1st Prince (one would never suspect this by looking) Verdreh Zahne or 'Earl' as he preferred to go by his old pre-sired name outside of proper company. Which to him family was something he could be informal with. At least these two. Greetings shared, Verdreh would ask for more details on this girl the younger spoke of.

"You did say you'd been tracking her for two weeks. Was there something particularly striking about this one to warrant such an extended hunt?" Winter mused innocently. Her husband was already picking up on what the problem might be however and continued before Weiss could answer.

"I reckon she lllllikes her. I wouldn't even wait one week t' pounce on a target." This had her tinging pink and muttering denials, awkwardly fidgeting in her seat. Bingo.

"Llllli- Speak normally!" *smack* "Likes her? A mere human? ..I suppose I won't judge, least not until I've met her in person but still. I've heard of lovesickness before but not to this extent."

"I think it's a mite more difficult than that. What'cha think Loue?" Earl asked nobody in particular.

Except there was someone he was addressing, someone now perched atop the grandfather clock by the wall. Another Zahne royal, this boy looking to be only a little older than Weiss in mortal appearances was Loue Zahne. Unlike his older brother the 3rd prince was dressed to fit the title, wearing a cape of darkest purple and black with a collar raised to almost conceal his pointed ears. Dark silver hair with spiked locks parted away from fine boyish features showed off crimson orbs and gleaming fangs were bared in an amused smirk. With a short thrust Loue hopped off the top of the clock and touched down on the floor eliciting another round of curtsies and bows. Black dress shoes squeaked on the cobbled floor as he smoothed out the wrinkles in his fine black trousers, ensuring the red ribbon fastening his cloak was still tight, and doublechecking the buttons on his black vest and white undershirt.

"I think that we're drawing the same conclusion. No wonder you always spurned my courteous advances Weiss." He chuckled, laughing when she snapped at him as well. "Ah.. But on a more serious note, I think that is exactly the problem."

"Her problem is that she's in love?" Winter asked incredulously, not understanding what he meant by that.

"Yep. It's an old wives tale but it ain't exactly a tale that came from nothin'. Loue you're a smart little feller you explain it- Hey put down that tomato! It ain't dinner time yet!"

"Spoilsport." The boy huffed, replacing the juicy red fruitable. Yes, fruitable. At one point the tomato's correct classification had caused serious infighting in the family so to save them all future trouble they decided to agree on disagreeing and call it both. "Anyway.."

"Like Verdreh said, it's an ancient story that predates many of our lineages and was widely spread to discourage interspecies relations with those not sired and prevent rampant turnings or mixed child bearing and thus muddle them. I'd have to check our texts for further information on the matter but to summarize, it's believed that a vampire who falls in love or grows attached to a non-vampire or one not of the undead will be tainted by an unknown force. Unless they kill the source of the condition then they will deteriorate, become frail, and wither away into nothingness." Loue spoke seriously, glancing at Weiss out of the corner of his eye. Nobody had to look, they could feel her sudden discomfort at the prospect of taking the little brunette's life to restore her own.

"Which o' course lead t' keepin' the bloodlines pure and in the process broke up a lotta good partnerships and genuine loves."

"Right, which in turn lead to people becoming very untrustworthy of our kind and created a divide where formerly there had been none. Aside from the occasional illegal feedings or sirings. This only exacerbated the problem."

"Freaky choice o' word kiddo."

"EXACERbate! It means to make something worse you- How do you put up with this man, elder sister in law?" Loue asked Winter with an animesque sweatdrop on his head.

"Sometimes with great difficulty. So.. The way you speak of it.." She narrowed her gaze, placing her hand over her mouth. "This is somewhat distant from the truth?"

"Not very, unfortunately. In truth this condition which currently has no name causes a number of symptoms in the affected." The young prince held up a hand and started to list them off. "For one, Weiss in this case, she will no longer be able to ingest or tolerate the taste and smell of blood from other sources than the subject of her affection. Not without some difficulty. It'll taste bitter and foul like medicine and it also won't rejuvenate her as much as it would normally. While she won't die any time soon drinking that kind of blood or just going without won't make her much better. However.." He paused, smiling a bit. "It's stated that drinking your loved one or close friend's blood will create a more powerful rejuvenating effect than normal and give you greater power. Someone sired in this situation will also be granted a more powerful form of vampirism than the norm as well. That's the part they conveniently leave out when recounting this strange affliction. There are pros and cons to it. Too bad the stereotype these days is that it's a curse to fall in love with a vampire. If you're not another."

He sighed forlornly, catching his breath after the extensive lecture and folding his arms. This was rather troubling.. For them, marriage wasn't an issue. While inter-family marriage between the Zahne and Schnee bloodlines was common there was no dictation of who they could and could not marry, on either side. However a human..? That was rare. Most often it was other inhumans who found themselves brought into the family. Siring was optional but for a pureblooded human to join.. Only werewolves were less commonly found, as in there being an extremely small number over the millennia.

"So what's the deal with curin' it? Somehow I just reckon she ain't gonna warm up to killin' this girl." Earl finally asked, breaking the silence. Weiss was currently unable to comment on anything and Winter had nothing to say or any ideas. Luckily..

"There are two ways, three actually." Again the younger prince held up his fingers and counted down. "One, which we might as well scratch off involves removing the problem's source. Two, she must be sired. You've already bitten her correct? The turning process must have started so it'd be a simple matter. She simply has to feed for the first time to complete it. Otherwise if she's cured which is common, or never finishes the transformation which happens often with poorer families then it will persist until these feelings fade. Three.." Loue bore a large smile at what was apparently next. "You two must be pronounced married in the grace and name of a god's priest or by soulbinding."

Weiss' face was buried in her arms, barely visible splotches of red brightening her face.

"Guess that's all there is to it then. Ya got yer options."

"I am NOT in love with her!" The young vampiress exclaimed, glaring daggers at Verdreh. Though she tried to look intimidating it just came off as rather adorable. "There must be something else. I mean.. She is cute, and I did enjoy the time I spent around her but-"

"Ever talk to her?" The man asked, raising an eyebrow. When Weiss didn't answer he just laughed and crossed his arms. "Well I think the solutions are clear. See if you can get her t' return those feelins or try and get her to drink someone's blood. She might do it on her own too. Can't imagine someone who works at a food joint is rollin' in money for a cure so.."

"Actually if memory serves she spoke of a cafe in downtown Vale. Not the Xiao Long cafe is it? I must admit it's a rather fine establishment. Certainly not five star material but it's a very acceptable place to eat at. It does also see quite a bit of service, especially since the owners are firmly pro-coexistence and the staff are both charming and friendly."

"It's been some time since I visited Vale itself, even though this place is not too far from it. Maybe it has improved since then. Not many places were that open to nonhumans." Winter added. Loue nodded his head and confirmed this for her from personal experience.

"I think I know who she speaks of as well. A short dark-haired girl with silver eyes.. Hmhm."

"Silver? Sounds like a strange catch. ..Hey wasn't there a big ol' uproar 'bout silver eyed Hunters a couple years ago?" Verdreh tilted his head, rubbing his chin.

"More than a couple, older brother. At least a decade. Just typical superstitious mutterings by ignorant commoners. It's nothing of significance so much as an uncommon genetic trait. I hear that Crossbreakers were involved though so I imagine it got quite bloody. It's become a popular conversation starter since- Hmm?"

First the young prince, then the other two turned. Weiss had mysteriously vanished from the room. Dinner was almost ready to be served as well.. When questioned, none of the staff in the immediate area had even noticed her disappearance. They wouldn't find her on the castle grounds either. It wouldn't be until the front guard and ballista majors were contacted that they reported her leaving the castle in the direction of Vale. Though Winter showed a strong desire to chase after her the other two males convinced her to stay and let things play out. Worst came to worst, she still had a guardian in the shadows to watch her.

...

 ***several hours later in the city of Vale, currently nighttime***

...

Ruby grumbled, slowly prodding at tonight's dinner. Being grounded _sucked._ Yep. Raven had found out about her little encounter with Weiss at the shop. First it started with the inquisition against Yang when all the battle scars were discovered. She'd been able to hide them at home and her coworkers promised not to say anything lest they face her burning wrath, but a friend of the family had noticed and called her mother. During that little argument Ruby had nearly walked in on it slipped out that she wasn't the only one out 'playing with monsters'. Though the seriousness and exact details of what had happened to the two of them was still secret the swordwielding woman put her foot down and forbade the two of them from any extraneous activities for the next month. Harsh but that was Raven Branwen for you.

The house was empty at the moment, since Taiyang and Raven had gone to the hospital for a checkup and to see about a cure for their adopted daughter's worsening vampirism. His fever was finally going down and they were making sure it'd continue that way with the proper medicines and such, plus an examination couldn't hurt. As for Yang.. She'd tagged along with them to get herself checked out. This strange sickness that was plaguing her after being marked up by that beast of a werecat must have done something to her..

"Bark!"

Okay, not ENTIRELY empty. There was still Zwei and she was glad for his company at least. Otherwise she wasn't sure if she would be able to tolerate the silence that pervaded the house. Except for the TV she had running for background noise in the living room there was nothing else to make her feel so.. Not alone. If it weren't for the fact that Raven was under the assumption this vampire hadn't been invited into the house and even then Ruby had no idea how she got in in the first place.. She'd probably have been dragged along with them. Which she was worried for Taiyang but at the same time.. The girl was not feeling very well and with good reason.

With more grumbling the girl just decided she wasn't hungry and wrapped up her food, giving some to the dog as a treat and the rest into the fridge before heading upstairs. What she wanted wasn't meat or vegetables or anything of the sort. What she wanted.. What she wanted was blood. Ruby hated to admit it but now this disease had a fierce hold in her. She couldn't even look in the general direction of streaming sunlight without heavily tinted shades. Merely standing in its rays directly caused her skin to turn red and too hot to bear. An incident with holy water yet again the day before yesterday left more than a scalding feeling. It had actually blistered her hand in a few places. It also healed rather quickly the girl noticed.

The excitable corgi raced into her bedroom, doing laps around her as the door was shut and locked. Everything else checked on and put in place.. Ruby picked up the tightly corked bottle of said holy water and stared at it for a few minutes, wondering. Weiss had never come back. Not Friday, not since then. The feeling of being watched had disappeared as well. She should be happy and yet, she wasn't. Something in her longed for the vampiress' return. To hear her voice, see her face, feel her touch..

She shuddered and tossed the item onto her bed. Bad thoughts. There had been too many of those, mostly in her dreams. Not just with the white haired female but even her coworkers, random people that came up to her at the cafe. Urges to haul them over the counter and tear into their necks were strong but she resisted. How much longer could she do it though.. The incident with her cousin wasn't the last to her dismay. One time after she'd come out the shower Yang's natural smokey scent and the allure of her blood had the shorter female shoving her to the wall and nipping at her collar with surprising strength, her hands almost at places they shouldn't be and leaving red marks on her unbroken skin. It happened again with Sun one night during closing, she' had him bent almost over backwards on the stove, her unusually sharp nails on his chest and looking into his eyes with longing.

Thank the gods they had been alone and that he was the understanding sort, due to a friend having undergone a similar predicament at one point.

"This really sucks.. I don't think I can take this much more Zwei. I hope they can figure something out. I don't want to be one of those _things._ Not after what happened to mom and dad.."

Ruby sat on the edge of the bed, twiddling her thumbs and thinking back to that horrible night. While she'd been very young when it happened it remained a clear memory and unpleasant nightmare how those twisted monsters had kicked down the door to their once peaceful home.. They'd barely had a chance to defend themselves. Qrow was first, taking two of them down with a single slice of his scythe before they shot him dead. Summer tried to escape with Ruby but was eventually found, her heart torn out by their leader even as she begged for them to spare her daughter.. Little Ruby tried to run but they snatched her up before she could even reach the front door. Those malicious eyes, glistening fangs, their pale skin.. He'd bared them to tear into her delicate neck.. Then the head they were attached to was smashed open like a watermelon thanks to a furious Taiyang and a pipewrench. Raven was right behind him, dicing apart several of the creatures before they'd even had a chance to react with her flawless odachi. Sharp enough to cut through bone and flesh like butter despite being terribly ineffective indoors with the limited range and space to be swung.

She stopped her recollection there, sniffling and rubbing her eyes on her arm before falling over on her pillows. Zwei trotted over and with the long cord hanging from the sides pulled all the curtains closed for her by his teeth before hopping up there with her. It wasn't long then she fell into troubled but certain slumber. Maybe things would be alright.. So she hoped.

So did the one watching her window from across the street, perching upon the rooftop. The currently cloudless sky allowed pale moonlight to reflect on even paler skin as they stood up. Watching. Waiting. They could hear.. Now. Now she was asleep. Yet they didn't move for her room. Instead they walked away, whispering to themselves.

* * *

 _Yeehaw! Another chapter hot off the press! Well, it's slightly cooled now 'cause I had to do a readover to make sure I didn't screw up anything or have any consistency errors or typos. Nobody's perfect though so feel free to point any out that I missed. Or critique my writing! Reviews are good. Like tacos. Okay not that good but still._

 _Yeah we got an OC in the house, someone I made for this story. I didn't mark Winter and him as a pairing 'cause I don't think it's really enough of a focus or plot-critical point to do so. As for the other vampire there might be one person who has a friend who knows a person that will realize who Loue is. He's a vampire from A Witch's Tale, a really underknown gem on the Nintendo DS and one of the games on my "games that I really want but will probably never see a sequel for" list._

 _I like the idea of falling in love being sort of a curse yet not in this universe. For vampires anyway. It actually popped up in my head after I wrote Blood-Red Like Roses so it'll be neat to see how this goes._

 _Also there's a handful or two of references in this chapter. Have fun finding them all. Bahaha! NO PROMISES but I'm hoping to put out chapter 3 the day after this one. Full speed ahead, CHOO CHOO. I don't know how many chapters this story will be though but I already know how it's gonna end and where I'm going with it. There will be an epilogue so don't freak out once we get to the last chapter. Keep that in mind._

 _Now I'm off to get some din-din and right after that hop back on writing chapter 3._

 _Lol 5555 words._

 _Inspectre Offline._


	3. Love Bites

_Inspectre Online._

 _Ermahgerbil already? Am I going too fast? Too slow? Can't do anything about the slowness I'm afraid but I'm not the kind of person who posts a chapter then waits a week (when schedule can help it) just to roll around naked in all the reviews and views before starting on the next one. Of course I'm not rushing to get works out without regards to quality, sometimes I just get a brain blast to keep going and sometimes it just dries up and I go do something like play video games or listen to metal until it refreshes._

 _If I don't have any fan mail on the last chapter by the time this one gets out then I'll just answer them in the next or something._

 _^DISREGARD THAT._

 _At Andilite: Thanks! What'cha mean by 'more stories like this' though? More vampire ones (I saw your stories, suddenly makes more sense) or more WhiteRose or more M-rated ones? I dunno about the first, the second is a forgone conclusion as I'm positive I'll be writing at least one more WhiteRose before I die/retire long in the future, and the third depends on how I feel after this piece is over. Now, 'hurry up'? *one hour after your review apparently, plops the chapter down on a tray* Sorry for the wait. Want fries with that?_

 _That said, who is the mysterious figure staring at Ruby's house? Pfft it's totally Weiss innit._

 _Nope, Chuck Testa._

 _..._

 _..._

 _Anybody remember when that was a thing? Anybody remember Kony? Anybody remember the Haiti disaster? Gawd internet such short attention span wow very quick forget so fast._

 _Yes I am on something and no you can't have any._

 _(Disclaimer, drugs and alcohol are bad and you shouldn't do them m'kay?)_

 _(Srsly I don't do drugs, that's more money I could spend on food and video games, plus I don't need to die early when I could be using that valuable remainder of my life and my savings to do cool stuff like road trip across the states and write fanfics and stuff)_

 _(Also alcohol only applies unless you do it in moderation, that said don't drink and drive either)_

 _(Crap, this is the part where I also disclaim that I don't own RWBY or any of its characters, settings, etc)_

 _*takes the above line and just makes copies of it and sticks it on all of his other fics thus far*_

 _What I do own is a slightly dinged up 11 Maven Pro with a scratchy screen and two missing keys, which I'm gonna go ahead and start writing this chapter on so that's gonna be a thing. Toodles._

 _Oh and seriously that wasn't Weiss monkeying about up there. DUN DUN DUN.._

* * *

Upon the rooftop a single figure elegantly paced towards the edge closest to the street, stopping and leaning over with their hands on their knees to catch their breath. Not that they had ran all the way there but the person was just exhausted from a combination of sickness and lack of nutrition. Hopefully at least the latter would be cured before the night was over..

Back in black, and a little bit of white. Weiss Schnee the vampiress stood upright and shook her head before stepping over and falling towards the pavement. Instead of a boneshattering and organsplattering smack however the female disappeared in a puff of smoke into the form of a white bat. She could only maintain this form for a brief moment in her condition but it'd be enough.

With a squeak it flapped across the street, over the lights and straight for a certain window. The window of the girl that was causing her so much stress and anxiety. The one she'd preyed on about two weeks ago. Sure she'd done some.. Unsavory things to her in the process but they could move past that right? Not like she liked the little brunette. Stupid Loue, stupid story. Whatever to rid her of this damn affliction. All she had to do was get her to convert. Or force her but Weiss didn't find that idea very appealing. If anything tonight she'd suck her dry, just enough to fill her tank and buy some time to deliberate on what she should do to fix her problem permanently. Although she also had a few things to say that she'd been thinking on quite heavily on the way to her home.

Upon reaching the sill Weiss transformed, small shadowy platforms jutting out from below it for her to stand on as she carefully used her remaining power to snake a shadowy wire inside and unlock the window. Without a sound it was slid up, eyes narrowing on the curtains. A thin film of darkness framed the opening to prevent moonlight from filtering inside and possibly alerting anyone once she also soundlessly pulled them aside. Vampires had an uncanny ability to null sounds within their presence, otherwise they wouldn't be able to do half of the unnerving and scary things they did. It also explained how the Zahne prince had managed to remain hidden from the two Schnees since they entered the dining hall of the castle earlier today.

Gazing inside as her powerful night vision kicked in Weiss would scan over the occupant's room. She'd seen it before but right now she was checking for any potential guards. Maybe she'd missed their Friday night date after something more important came up and the discovery of her ailment with blood-drinking had distracted her but just because some time had passed didn't mean that Ruby was likely to drop her guard. She probably told her parents and family, was already trying to get cured, and had some Hunters hired to protect her.

Or not. From what she could tell there was just a single dog in the room. Not even a combat ready one, just a little corgi. Cute corgi though he reeked a little bit of garlic. Tch. Though he could still be trouble if he woke up so extra precautions would have to be taken. At least until she was close enough, then.. Well it wasn't like she'd kill the poor animal. Maybe use one of her eye powers and hypnotize it or put it to (temporary) sleep again.

Weiss had almost stepped into the room when she noticed the faintest glimmer of a wire just inside the sill. Ooh clever girl.. Glancing around and following the object she couldn't see what it was connected to since it was run all around the room and ended rather conspicuously near a bookshelf across from the window. Probably an alarm or something. The vampiress didn't care to find out so instead she snaked her foot over the wire to where she could step down soundlessly off the window and stand inside her room.

*snap*

Very, very clever girl.

After landing on a secondary tripwire, the first probably having been a psychological trap instead of an actual defence mechanism something came flying at her from the corner of the room. A balloon. Filled with holy water. It splashed over her front and with a shriek she flew backwards, tumbling back out of the building and towards the street below as her flesh sizzled and blistered. Suddenly Zwei was awake and barking up a storm as Ruby bolted out from under her covers and grabbed something from underneath her pillow. Quickly looking out the window with the shadow screen having dissipated she glanced down at Weiss' unmoving figure on the sidewalk. Pooling blood under her head and face/chest burnt almost beyond recognition.. Direct hit. Now it was time to go confront her would-be assailant and rapist stalker. Though she felt a pang of guilt at the incredible pain that probably caused.

Racing downstairs and towards the front door Ruby would take a deep breath, stake in one hand and another container of holy water in the other before shoving it open. All she saw was the stains of blood on the pavement where Weiss had been before a flash of darkness obscured her vision. That once pretty face was almost right in hers, scalds having damaged a majority of it (though it was gradually healing she noted) and making her already angry expression more terrifying. That bottle of blessed liquid was knocked from her hand with a strike of pale knuckles to her wrist and the impending staking blocked as the brunette's forearm was twisted behind her back. Then with a shove Weiss pushed her up against the wall.

"Now listen here, I'm not here to fight! Calm down!" The vampiress hissed, trying to keep a struggling Ruby from striking at her or slip away. It would have been so easy if she was at full strength but with her current problems Weiss was only about as strong as a common newblood. Which still gave her an advantage over this girl but not by a large margin. Did she have enough energy left for her powers..? A short fizzle of black smoky wisps confirmed no. Great.

Of course Ruby didn't calm down and continued to fight back, shouting all sorts of mean things back at her captor. Something about playing whackamole with her heart and that wooden implement. The other arm was grabbed and pressed to her lower back as well rather forcefully and with a hoarse whisper into her ear Weiss made it clear that if she didn't stop she _was_ going to break something. Not that she wanted to as the vampiress was there for reasons other than what the girl might be suspecting.

This seemed to put her slightly at ease for the thrashing and writhing about suddenly ceased. Perhaps because of the threat and perhaps because of the sudden proximity. Her cheeks were slightly pink and she could feel her body reacting in ways she didn't want it to.

"Good. Umm.. First thing's first, I'm not here to kill you or defile you or anything like that. If anything I just want some of your blood, then we've got to talk-" Suddenly they were back at square one, except Weiss had foolishly lowered her guard and slackened her grip on Ruby who suddenly ducked under her and came around to try and stab her in the back. Too slow. Weiss in turn spun to meet her and grasped her in a chokelift, recoiling when a confetti popper? of garlic powder was pulled out and fired off in her face. Hacking and coughing she dropped the brunette who took advantage of the opening to then impale her dead on with the stake. To her shock it wasn't some simple piece of whittled oak but a handcrafted weapon made from deadly blackthorn. That and hawthorn were especially deadly to those with Schnee family blood given their race, akin to wolfsbane or silver against a werekin. To her greater shock, Ruby had missed entirely and instead stabbed her in the center of her chest and thus instead of killing her outright started a severe draining effect on the vampiress. Already it was getting to be difficult to even stand. Her vision was clouding, throat drying, muscles weakening.. In a burst of strength that was both unprecedented and unexpected Ruby then shoved her up against the wall and again impaled her with the stake, driving it all the way through and into the side of the house.

"What the Dust..?!" She shouted weakly, trying to grab at it and pull it out. Unfortunately the compilation of being blood-deficient, weakened by blackthorn, and having it twice embedded in her body sapped her power away like a spigot going full blast. Good luck forcing her own body off of it as well.

"What the Dust?! Did you think I forgot? What you did to me?" Ruby shouted right back, fuming and stomping her feet. "You- You.. You know what you did! Oh and now I'm turning into one of you monsters too! Thanks a lot!"

Her words hit like a ton of bricks. It was rare- Scratch that. It was never that the Schnee ever confronted any of her victims after a feeding. Mostly because they were either drained dry and left for dead or killed on the spot. This one however had struck her fancy in some way so she spared her life, but not after putting her through quite an ordeal. Hence why those words also pierced her ordinarily black heart and she fell silent, grit teeth and eyes focused on the ground.

"So.. You're going to kill me then? Before I have a chance to apologize?" Weiss asked bitterly, glaring at the brunette. She bit her lip and then shook her head, stating that she had something else in mind.

"No. Technically you'll die on your own." A rather spot on and icy impression of the vampiress that fateful night at the cafe. Her heterochromatic eyes widened slightly in fear as realization dawned. Key word there, dawn. Ruby must be planning to leave her there in her feeble state until the sun rose to put her out of her misery.

"You wouldn't-"

"Watch me."

With that Ruby collected the stray bottle of holy water, resisting the urge to throw it at her for extra spite before heading for the door. As her hand touched the handle Weiss would shout for her to wait. The request was ignored and a single dirty look given before it was opened, then slammed shut as she went back inside.

...

About a half hour passed in silence. Pure silence. The empty corner of the city saw nobody come by to help her or notice what was going on. After all the old Branwen/Rose house was still vacant and there weren't too many people living in the small district. Not close by.

That silence was broken when the girl came back outside, throwing the door open. In one hand was another blackthorn stake and the other this time a water gun full of what could only be that bottled holy water. At first Weiss was confused but right away it was made clear she wasn't setting her free.

"You said you wanted to apologize.. Right?" A nod. "You think you can just apologize for something that horrible? That.. That was my first time.. I wanted it to be special, with someone I like! Yet you just stole that from me like I was just a toy to play with! Then you threw me away with this problem!" Ruby huffed, practically screaming. She kept both a certain distance and her temper under control though, tempted to just unload on her face and melt it right off. Those pale feminine features had slowly regenerated over the course of thirty minutes and had almost completely healed so when a sorrowful expression cast over it Ruby could see it in full. Again a bit of guilt hit her but she felt entirely justified in this. In venting and confronting the vampiress. In fact she would be beating the tar out of her if not for some strange feeling in her gut.

"..."

"Well?!"

"...I can't make it up to you and I can't take it back, I know, but.. I can try and make things better." Weiss said softly, black, white, red, and blue meeting silver. Silver.. Something was trying to click in the back of the Schnee's mind but before the gears could lock together Ruby was close. Almost arm's length.

"Why? What makes me special? I know I can't be the first person you've attacked."

"A-As if I know! But I feel sorry, really!"

"Only 'cause you got caught and you're about to die." The brunette grumbled, folding her arms. Part of her wanted to believe it and trust Weiss. A small part of her brain was shouting 'no it's a trap she's infected you don't let her trick you' but the rest was roaring louder.

"No, I mean it.. I don't know what's wrong with me but there's something about you Ruby. You're different. And it's making me sick."

Very narrow and cross look obtained.

"I mean physically!" Weiss quickly blurted out. "I can't drink blood anymore, my powers are fading, I barely feel like I can stand sometimes. I haven't fed in so long.."

"No wonder you look like crap. Though I guess I'm not that much different. I'm also turning thanks to you. Sunlight hurts my eyes and skin, I've burned myself with this stuff-" She held up the squirt gun and shook it. "-and I actually liked garlic before you came along. Not as much as that Wario guy but still!"

"Bite me." The vampiress said with a blank expression.

"Oh go to Hell Weiss."

"Seriously, I mean it. Bite me. That's all it takes."

The two of them stared at eachother, Ruby looking rather confused all of a sudden. Bite her? She didn't WANT to become a vampire in the first place so why would she bite her?! As if reading her mind which wasn't hard to do even without paranormal powers or having the ability to read the air Weiss continued.

"You won't become a full vampire until you feed on a living being's blood but you feed on the one who started your siring then it'll cure it. Otherwise you're looking at a heavy sum for a normal cure and I don't think your family can afford one. Or maybe they can. I don't know."

The girl was silent for several minutes. Was this a trap? Did she have some kind of agenda? What did she have to gain by lying? Aside from being cured of her problem if she really did turn, which she wouldn't but it wasn't as if Ruby could know of any of this.

"I've never heard of that before though. I'm not sure if I believe you."

"Coming from the source, is there any reason to doubt it? I know you don't have any reason to trust me Ruby but please.. Give me a chance. If I'm lying and you do turn, I'd be in no position to stop you from ending my un-life right here and now for revenge you know."

A compelling case. A very compelling case. Weiss didn't strike her as the type to throw her life away just to have the last laugh.

"... ... ..I'm not forgiving you, nor am I accepting your apology, but I guess I'll take your word." Ruby grimaced as she stepped closer, the Schnee royal lifting her head and tilting it to the side. Apprehension and a very belligerent sexual tension filled the air as the brunette brought hands up to her shoulders and what looked like the beginnings of filing teeth down to the exposed vein in her neck. It was a little overwhelming to take in now that she was so close. Her half lidded and expectant gaze, the soft scent of mint coming from her body, the way the moonlight reflected off of her skin and hair.. A bit of awkward adjustment followed during which Weiss quipped that she'd show her where to bite since it was her first time. She also yelped when pointed nails dug into her flesh and gasped when the tips of piercing fangs touched her skin. Yet.. Nothing happened. They never punctured.

"..? What's the holdup? Don't you want to be cured?" She asked, lifting an eyebrow as Ruby drew back.

"Of course I wanna be cured! I just.. I can't. Give me a second."

"If it's about the act itself, I can understand why you're nervous but think of it like getting a piercing or a shot. Just grin and bare it. Bang. It's over." Weiss assured, or tried to but the girl simply stepped back and bit her lip. Why was she hesitating? There was no hypnotic effect in place, no mental ability being used to try and stop her. It couldn't be that she was scared of hurting her so maybe she was just a little bugged out by the thought of drinking someone's blood.

"..."

"Wimp."

"Hey!"

"If you're not going to bite me can I at least get some of your blood..? It's been so long and I feel like I'm about to drop dead any minute now. This stick in my chest isn't helping.." The blackthorn stake was true to word still siphoning away her energy, the task of talking becoming difficult even.

"Why should I let you? After everything that's happened?"

"Because if you don't and I die, or you let me roast out here then your chances at getting a cure drop next to zero." GG Weiss, solid case. Given that only the sire could revert the turning process the only other options left would be hoping they could afford the cure or face becoming a vampire, or live out the rest of her life as an unturned halfling.

So against her better judgement, however placing one hand firmly on the buried stake and leveling the other over her left breast Ruby would allow Weiss to lean forward. Just in case she had any ideas of trying to escape or pull one over. Oh how badly the vampiress wanted her. Her blood that is, what else could she possibly want? White fangs gleamed and were in an instant buried, eliciting a yelp and drawing that crimson wine into her mouth. And it was _magnificent._

The effect was completely different from last time, from any other feeding before even. To any vampire a normal one was like drinking wine. Or flat soda from animals and unhygienic or malnourished mortals. For Weiss it was currently like she were imbibing some sort of heavenly nectar after being lost in the desert for countless ages. The rush ignited something within her body and before she knew it the blood was flowing faster, her power swelling and rejuvenating. The remnants of the damage that had been done faded completely, her sickly pallor transitioning back into a marvelous shine smooth as marble and her hair returning to its former glory. Unconsciously Weiss was letting out a low moan as she fed, her lips humming against Ruby's skin causing the girl to shudder.

"Aaaaah~ St.. Stop.. Too much.."

With an almost audible smack the vampiress withdrew, small crimson droplets falling. Then she quickly reached out to catch her quarry as she fell, exhausted from the sudden depletion of blood. "Sorry, I didn't mean to go overboard like that but I couldn't stop. It's.. Amazing. I've never tasted anything that good before. Thanks Ruby."

All Ruby could manage was a weak nod and for the next few minutes they just stood there, Weiss holding her close. It was driving her mad now. The intoxicating smell of copper, strawberries, ...Garlic. Tch. Though she'd brushed most of it off the stench still lingered. However it'd now become akin to a merely unpleasant waft rather than the stomach-churning funk it used to be, before she fed. Just like Loue said. Drinking Ruby's blood was a euphoria beyond anything she'd felt before, and it made her feel stronger and faster than ever. Her power was returning and even exceeding its old limits. Or it would be but they'd stopped prematurely. Yet Weiss could tell. If she just had a little more..

Looking down at the one in her arms however, judging by her shallow breathing and extra pale face that'd have to wait. Regardless she was in the clear now. Her vitality was back. Her magic was back. Her body was in grand shape and her senses heightened once more.

Which thank the fates that be for the latter. It gave her enough of a warning that they were _not alone.._ Aside from Zwei there were other faint presences in the area that weren't human. Ones that as her body continued to revitalize alerted her to the fact they were also vampires. One. Two. Three, no five- Twelve- This wasn't a coincidence. This was a raid.

Several were perched on tops of nearby buildings, some idly positioned beside other houses or sitting next to cars parked by the curb. They'd easily managed to sneak in and hide under the Schnee's previously reduced senses of smell and hearing, and thanks to their dark military style uniforms it was hard for a tunnel vision saddled Weiss to catch in the shadow of night.

"Ruby. Go inside. Now."

"Wha..? What's wrong? Ooh I feel so dizzy.."

Black boots, black combat leggings, black gloves, shirts, jackets and coats.. Some wore bandanas and others headbands or chains.. All bore the exact same symbol upon their backs. A red image of a clawed fist snapping a white wooden cross in its grip.

There were three types of vampire collectives in the world of Remnant, formed under various circumstances and operating very differently. First you had the gangs, pretty much like human clubs or groups that operated generally within a small area of a city or territory outside the walls of humankind. They generally had little power and either answered to a larger collective in a form of vassalage or were granted free reign so long as they either obeyed restrictions set by said power or paid a sum in blood or money, or made sure that any other vampires knew who truly ruled that area.

Then there were the families. The Schnees, Zahne, Valtrius, Bloodraven.. They consisted of vampires who either were closely related in life or came together and formed a familial bond. 'Children' as in this realm vampires were capable of most biological functions that other variations were not were either born amidst them or adopted via siring. Marriages were ordained either under the watch of a priest of the many gods worshipped across the world signified by the kind of ring the couples wore, or via dark magics had their souls literally bound together so that the extinguishing of one life would take the other with it, but created an empathic bond that transcended mortal bounds and purportedly made oneself stronger depending on the partners. These families could grow large and the oldest had heavy influence in human affairs.

Finally, the covens. Many were comprised of either gangs that sought to retain individuality but be a part of something greater or families that shared a common interest, perhaps seeking to establish a greater hierarchy among their kind. Weiss and her sister's families were part of one such known as Ivory Fang, including three other families that made their homes in Vacuo, Mistral, and Grove respectively. Not just they but many families had connections across the globe and were quite extensive, so those who sought to anger one of these great covens did so with a death wish. Especially with certain covens, who didn't fear retribution from human Huntsmen and Huntresses for their transgressions or from the human militaries. No it was largely friendlier and more peaceable inhumans that really helped keep the peace.

That peace was quickly being shattered as one of the foremost vampires stepped forward, eyes seething with malevolence for the two females as fangs were bared and a snarl issued from his lips. Ruby's dreary gaze shifted towards him and a sudden pulse of primal fear seized her body, traumatizing memories boiling to the surface. Memories of an all too familiar visage that haunted every other dream and turned into a horrid nightmare.

"Give me the silver eyed one, now."

The Crossbreakers were back to finish what they started.

* * *

 _That moment when you're finishing up proofreading and doing the post story A/N and your tab refreshes because you were too hasty and wanted to do it on FF instead of your Notebooks app. LAAAAME._

 _Anyway, BOOM headshot. I mean cliffYanger. Decided to drop some backlore and info in this chappy. It looked like Weiss and Ruby were gonna have a lovelove happyhappy reunion right? Well nope, Chuck- Oh wait I did that joke already._

 _Okay so this is obviously headin' for a showdown. Nail your chairs down and brace for (im)MORTAL KOMBAT. I think this story's got about two possibly three more chapters left and then the epilogue. Hope the ending doesn't screw your minds too hard guys! ..Is anybody even reading this? I kid I kid. Shoutouts to everybody that has read, reviewed, favorited, and followed my stuff so far! I plan to keep going full speed ahead with this perhaps until it's done. Then I might go on another gaming break or get ready jotting down notes for my next fic. If you guys were disappointed by the M-rating dropping to a T for the sequel of Blood-Red Like Roses weeeeell.. Hold on to your hats. Or not. Still up in the air about how that's gonna go for what might be the next work._

 _So what's the big beef between the Crossbreakers and humans with silver eyes? Is there something to it? Do they have freaky paranormal powers? Did someone with silver eyes just stake the wrong person and send them on a genocidal warpath? Why'd they wait like ten years later to come for Ruby again? When will I stop asking questions I already know the answers to? (except that last one, I need to come up with a believable excuse for that one)_

 _Answers to those and more (or at least some of them) in the next chapter of Red Snow!_

 _Inspectre Offline._


	4. (un)Dead of the Night

_Inspectre AFK._

 _..._

 _Inspectre Online._

 _*puts on some Powerwolf and cracks knuckles* "Vampires don't diiiiiie!"_

 _Get ready to rrrummbllllllle!_

 _Y'all know what time it is. Time for chapter quatro! Or is that two t's? Anyhoot._

 _Let's knock dem reviews out real quick like._

 _At Andilite: I know I already BLed- I mean PMed (RoB habit) you about this but for others, check out The Royal Test for a taste of my fight writing skills. I mean that word neutrally, but I think I did a good job. Yeah if those two just kept trying to kill eachother that'd kiiiinda spoil the mood and throw the story off the rails. This might be the final chapter or it might not be. It'll probably be a bit longer than normal or not 'cause there's also gonna be an epilogue and if I end this chapter where I planned to then the next chapter after that would be more of a minichapter before the epilogue cuts in. gotosleeplove I feel like I should know that name..? 'standard review ending' ooh I've got a professional reviewer on board~ I am making progress. Hoping to have this chapter done today!_

 _At BlakJakXXI: That's about the gist of it. Things don't always go as planned though, funny how that works. Also on the ponytail subject I probably did and was confusing perspectives but I also PMed you about that. I'll get around to fixing it sometime. Probably right after I upload this chapter. Or not._ _Yeah for all their powers and enhancements vampires (and other creatures) have humans are holding on somehow right? This cleverness isn't entirely hers, partially genetic as you'll find out.. That would be handy if they had time to pull it off, if Weiss' abilities were recovered enough to hold them off. Plus Ruby's already fatigued as it is and she doesn't wanna risk killing her or making her weaker at this point. And tiny correction, which maybe it was my fault or something but when a vampire drinks the blood of someone that have deep feelings for (if they're living, correlating to the 'curse' explained in chapter 2) they can become stronger than normal. Has nothing to do with if they're turning or not._

 _At Gropau25: Inorite?_

 _At Cymki: I love hot chocolate but holy Hell? Unless you're a demon or a fallen angel that's kinda an oxymoron. *chuckles*_

 _Now, on with the show!_

 _Post starting edit. I went to go check on BlackJakXXI's second review when it popped up on my email alerts and guess what I saw at the top of the page. An advertisement for a Barnes and Noble plush. Not just any plush though, a velveteen rabbit plush. Velvet Scarlatina anyway? I thought it was freakin' funny._

* * *

The two of them were surrounded. More than just a dozen, there were perhaps twenty or so other vampires encircling them. Slowly skulking in from all directions, all of them stronger than normal. None on Weiss' level, at least if the case were that she was back in full control of her power and in her prime again. As it stood she could handle perhaps three or four of them at a time but not the entire group.

She realized this, and would shake the girl in her arms to try and focus her back on reality and snap her out of her daze. Upon seeing the horribly familiar visages of the Crossbreakers, some of which had personally been involved in the slaying of her parents so many years ago, Ruby jolted and stood by Weiss' side.

"Ruby. Go."

"What's going on..?"

"Hand her over, or we will tear you apart where you stand." The male again snarled, flexing his clawed fingers and narrowing hate filled eyes at the silver eyed female. There seemed to be some sort of grudge against her but it wasn't one she understood or was aware of.

"You dare challenge a member of the Zahne family?" Weiss growled right back, eyes dilating in anger as she budged against the blackthorn stake nailing her to the house. With a tremendous effort she gripped it in one hand and ripped it right out, gritting her sharp teeth and hissing. Though slowly the wound began to heal and the sealing effect it had been emplacing corroded away. There was no time to feed on Ruby again but perhaps this would be enough to deter them.

"Do not jest, we know your true lineage Schnee."

So much for that.

"So, you know I am a Schnee and a Zahne yet you still choose to incur my wrath?" The surrounding temperature dropped several dozen degrees as an icy aura began to emanate from her being sending cold chills up Ruby's back. Yet it also warmed her inside. Weiss was going this far to protect her? She didn't understand, unless.. Was she serious about apologizing and making amends?

"The might of Ivory Fang is nothing compared to ours. We, the Crossbreakers, are uncontestable. We do as we please and we go where we wish. Even the might of Heaven cannot stop us from entering places protected by its grace." True to word they were not barred from encroaching upon holy grounds or into peoples' homes without invitation. Elder vampires and powerful collectives tended to pass down or have some kind of gift to those sired by they. In the case of the Schnee family it was their power of ice and shadow contained in their eye. Such a power was starting to seep as Weiss glared back at the male and clenched her fists. It was going to come down to a fight.

"You're treading on thin ice. This is my last warning, before you make a grave mistake." She turned to Ruby and bit her lip. If the girl wasn't safe inside her own home then things were about to get very difficult. Somehow the vampiress would have to both defend her and fend off their opponents at the same time. Unlike her sister she didn't have as much experience or skill at fighting.. And that went for both females.

Yet even so Ruby would take the blackthorn weapon from Weiss' hand and spin the holy water gun in her hand, ignoring Zwei's barking and clawing at the door. This was almost met with a bit of protest but better for her to be able to defend herself and fight in some capacity. There was no way she'd be able to run.

"Then you die with her!" He struck, and she struck back. Subzero claws met fang as the man went for a most direct and basic downward swipe for her neck. Did he think she was some pretty princess who had never been in combat before? Leaning to the side ice would form across her pale fingers as they curled, a gauntlet of hardened frost smashing into his teeth and breaking several in the process of launching him backwards into the street and rolling him across the asphalt. Slight amounts of blood and spit flew as it then shattered. The Crossbreakers that had been approaching all paused for the briefest moment, tensing not in fear but readiness for a resistance they hadn't expected. Then.. They charged.

Two leapt off of the cars parked in the street for the Schnee princess, a snap of her fingers calling forth hollow eyed jaws of shadow that snapped down on one and rather roughly bisected him. The other attempted to tackle her but she jumped and crouched, kicking her down into the pavement. When she landed she slammed her foot down into the other female's back and to her surprise Ruby swung down and stabbed her through the shoulderblade and into her heart, finishing the Crossbreaker off in a burst of ashes.

"So you do know how to fight without your traps."

"I picked some things up from my sister and my other parents. I didn't get much of a chance to show you last time." Ruby grumbled, giving her a somewhat dirty look. Weiss sighed.

"Please, we'll talk about this later. But I truly am sorry Ruby."

"Bet you never said that to any of your other victims.."

"This is NOT the time!" Weiss shouted, ducking under a swinging fist and slamming her assailant back with a shoulder charge. This was followed by several streams of holy water that blinded it, leaving it open for a decapitating slice of bladed ice claws.

Reluctantly Ruby agreed and would spin her stake into a reverse grip, standing with her back to the vampiress as they looked to both sides. All of the Crossbreakers were closing in now, it was do or die. Several of them charged since dogpiling wasn't a tactic that was commonly seen in (smarter) vampire forces. The rest would circle, their claws and fangs bared in hisses and snarls.

Two split off and tried to strike the two of them at their sides in an attempt to distract them. Yet much to Weiss' surprise Ruby had it handled. The stake was thrown with eery precision into one's chest avoiding their heart, an arm grabbed and pulled 'round so that their body would intercept the other. Bodies collided, and the brunette would hold her ground while wrenching the stake free and dust the one she'd used as a meatshield. Through the cover cloud of ash she'd then take out the other, causing the Crossbreakers to collectively take a step back.

"How did you..?"

"I don't know! It was reflex!"

The girl had not only recovered but gotten stronger. This wasn't human strength or skill, or even speed. Then it clicked. The siring. Even though it was technically incomplete it had had plenty of time to fester and augment her body and mind. Yet the enhancement couldn't be solely responsible for an improvement on that level..

But that greatly evened their odds. If Ruby was less of a dead weight much as Weiss disliked thinking of her that way.. If she could actually go toe to toe with these vampires..

That train of thought was quickly derailed as the Crossbreakers all in the blink of an eye withdrew small glass flasks and popped them open, guzzling down their crimson contents and tossing them aside. Not fair.

Pumped up on fresh feeding adrenaline their muscles tightened, eyes narrowing and fingers twitching with bloodlust. So much for an advantage. The closest one immediately charged, faster than Weiss could react and pinned her up against the wall. Ruby shouted for him to let her go and first tried to shoot him in the back with some holy water but a kick from the corner of her eye sent the water gun flying from her hand. Quickly Ruby tried to stake her sneaky opponent but another following spin kick launched her several yards away. Scrabbling to her feet she could only watch in horror as the gleam of silver was driven into Weiss' stomach repeatedly before an explosive plume of ice dust and shards threw her assailant away and over the street. Some kind of glowing white sigil shined on the vampiress' palm for a second and then faded, clutching her wounds. Sacred silver.. The Crossbreakers could not only trespass against holy powers but wield blessed weapons? The vampiress had heard of their kind before but to think they were that powerful..

The moment the two females were separated was when it all went downhill. A car door was torn from some nearby vehicle (and thus setting off the alarm without a care) and thrown at the brunette. With a savage burst of strength she swatted the object away as if it were a paper plane and again threw her stake. Oh she'd feel that in the morning. It sailed true and rent the aggressor to ashes, and another was retrieved from her pajama pocket. The one she'd brought out as a spare since the first had been stuck inside Weiss. Ruby then charged, a wild elbow smashing teeth after one of the Crossbreakers attempted to foolishly stand in her way. Having expected her to start swinging those between the girl and her actual objective leapt aside as she quickly picked Weiss up and threw her over her shoulder fireman style.

"*cough* What are you *cough* doing you dolt!? Put me down this instant! In case you haven't noticed we- Ouch! -have a probleeeEEM!" Indeed they did. The sacred silver was starting to take its toll, a similar effect to the hawthorn except holy essence had a lingering effect. True silver was more an anti-werekin weapon but it could still do some damage to most undead. Again with with an unprecedented display thus cutting off Weiss' protest Ruby took off running, faster than even an above average human could run in perfect physique. Yet the vampires gave chase and would remain hot on her heels. There were too many of them. All the ones they'd dusted? Their ranks were filled and then some, close to thirty of the blood sucking monsters in pursuit.

As the brunette tore down the street thoughts were running just as fast in her mind. What was with these vampires? Why were they so bent on killing her? Why was Weiss fighting so hard for her sake? What the Hell were they going to do about the first two things? She didn't dare consider going to any of her friends, despite living close by. She'd just be bringing Death to their doorstep. Were there any Hunters that lived in their area?

The sound of something hurtling through the air drew her attention away from those thoughts and she hit the brakes, skittering to a halt. Just narrowly the girl had managed to dodge a spinning parking meter that one of her pursuers had hurled. It smashed into a window and with several thumping sounds Crossbreakers all hit the street and the sidewalk, again on all sides. Their formation was such that there no way another breakout run could be attempted. Not without having to truckstick over several of them and that wasn't happening.

"Ruby.. Put me down. We're not running." Weiss said rather firmly and lowly. She couldn't restrain the bitterness in her voice, directed not towards Ruby but towards what was perhaps a certain fate. Against this many they had no chance at winning. In her mind she'd already come to the forgone conclusion that they weren't making it out alive. Not like the police were anywhere nearby and Weiss certainly hadn't alerted anyone to what she was doing or where she was going. Maybe they'd have an inkling but even so to fight off so many high level vampires..

"Hey, chin up Weiss! We're not dead yet!" Don't tell me you're gonna give up!" Ruby exclaimed, released the vampiress and letting her lean against her arm. Hitching breaths, face contorted in pain, looked like that silver had did a real number on her.

"No but we might as well be. If only I was just a little stronger.."

"That's quitter talk!" Ruby again shouted, frowning at Weiss and staggering a bit at the sudden increase of weight. Whatever kind of blade that was must have been a heavily blessed one if Weiss was weakened once again to this extent. No wonder they had the title Crossbreakers, and it really spoke volumes of her fortitude. Most vampires would be recoiling or bursting into flames just with a touch from such an object.

"That's being realistic. You think I _want_ to die here? But.. Before we do, I wanna say-" *slap*

She blinked several times, staring and massaging the red handprint on her face. Did Ruby just..

"Save it for later! It's not over until it's over! That's- That's what dad always told me.. Before he died.." The girl was staring her down, eyes full of resolution and a hidden sadness. "He'd always say that you only lost when you gave up. That if you keep moving forward you can always make it through!"

Weiss continued to stare, momentarily oblivious to the surrounding vampires. Even as they slowly started to creep forward with makeshift or stolen weapons hefted. This girl.. It was hard to resist the urge to smile even though she felt like crumpling to the floor. Damn sacred silver.

"Your father sounds like a bold man. ..You're right. I can't give it all I've got if I'm already giving up. Let's show these newbloods how it's done."

"That's the spirit! Besides.. I've got a score to settle."

Ruby scowled, clenching her blackthorn stake so hard it almost cracked. That's when the connection was forged. Her silver eyes, the Crossbreakers moving in such a force for one person..

"Ruby. Your last name.. It isn't- It isn't Rose is it?"

"Yeah? Why? Wait you're just finding this out now?"

"Yes! We didn't exactly ever sit down for tea and crumpets to share our life stories since we met!"

"You never stopped long enough for me to talk to you and avoided me when I had the chance!"

Rose.. Silver eyes. There was a lot more to this than she knew, than either of them knew really. Forcing herself to stand straight and on her own Weiss would cast an icy glare onto all. Though she still didn't think it was likely they could pull this off, if they kept fighting and showed no fear maybe the Crossbreakers would back down first. Cracking her neck the Schnee princess would bare her fangs in a grin. Though it still burned like fire she tried to make a show of her wounds not affecting her anymore as she took a fighting stance.

"We've really got to have a talk, Ruby. ..After we kick their asses and take their names."

Ruby smiled and nodded, allowing her features to harden as they became more serious. One final stand. All or nothing. The two females again put their backs together as that ring of (un)death started to shrink. None of them wanted to go first because there was this certain feeling in the air that the first to move was going down hair. Like any engagement, the first moving pawns were the ones to take the brunt before the other pieces swept in.

Or get run right the Hell over as a black Jaguar Coupe came screeching around a corner and started flying down the street towards the group. A very, very familiar vehicle to one of the two girls. Its headlights lit up the crowd of Crossbreakers as they split and dove for cover or jumped up onto the buildings. Rather quickly the passenger door was kicked open by the driver, a woman's voice yelling for them to get in as Night of the Werewolves blared through the speakers. Snatching her by the back of her cape Ruby dove in with Weiss in tow before slamming the door shut with the car having started to peel out before they even reached it. Sprawled across the passenger seat and gear shifter the brunette tried to get up only to almost headbutt the alabaster vampiress, blushing awkwardly at the situation. Their faces were barely inches away and she could feel herself heating up as their bodies touched. Only after a clearing of the throat did either of them jump back into reality. "You are _so_ _much_ like your cousin. "

A rather beautiful long haired brunette glanced at them briefly, crimson eyes narrowed with what looked to be a half and half mix of annoyance and mirth. Her pale face then relaxed and turned back to the road. A flash of gold came from the wedding ring on her finger as she slapped at the two hitchhikers, informing them she kinda needed the shifter and also kinda informing them not so nonchalantly to get in the back seat. After all that was where all the fun stuff happened. Plus this jet was about to take off.

"M-Mom!" Ruby blurted out. What?

A mane of wild and thick black hair not unlike her cousin Yang's, mysterious and alluring eyes that bore into the vampiress', an hourglass figure with rather ample endowments and a bottom that nicely filled her faded Levi jeans as well as a black and red ringer t-shirt.. Coupled with a still youthful and feminine face that bore a mischievous/playful grin when the wheels churned and smoke followed in the trail of burning rubber.. Talk about a mother one would like to have sexual relations with. If one was Joseph Ducruex and actually talked like that.

Though the tall swordswoman (seriously was that a real odachi sheathed and sitting between the door and the driver's seat?!) was in fact Ruby's aunt, sister of her true (and deceased) father Qrow. Yet when they took her in after the attack they told her she was free to think of them as her new parents if she wanted. Black boots pushed down on the accelerator, slender legs and plump ass planted firmly in the seat as they rounded another corner, throwing the two in the back whether they liked it or not.

Raven was silent, as was the interior of the vehicle aside from the blasting metal music until they were a good distance away from the battle scene at which point she pulled the car over and turned it down for what by parking and shutting it off. Then with a rather cross tone..

"I thought I made it explicitly clear that you were to stay home and be a good girl, Ruby Rose." The woman sighed, looking up at the rearview mirror and then over her shoulder.

"I-I can explain, see all those freaks surrounded the house and-"

"It's my fault. I lured her out." Weiss quickly interjected, holding up the back of her hand to Ruby's face.

"Uh huh. I se- You.. You're the white haired girl I heard was frequenting my husband's shop. ..I guess you're cute. Figures my hotheaded daughter would try to bring you home."

A rather accusing glare was sent in her direction and she would cross her arms. "That.. That barbarian was trying to set me up with her sister, or cousin or whatever. What was I supposed to say? Sure, I'd love to come over! Can I suck on her neck too because that's kind of my thing since I'm a vampire. It's actually difficult to hide if people around you are observant and.. I don't have many good experiences with trying to blend in with people." Weiss cast a low look to the floor as she trailed off, Ruby now feeling a little bad for her.

"Hmph. So you're going to change her back right? Oh I already know, she's being sired. And I am not happy about it. Do you know how much a vampirism cure costs these days? At least in Vale? I am not flying to another country, and it's bad enough we're going to have another mouth to feed at the house." Raven scowled, gripping the steering wheel. So she knew about that, but did she know about.. What else happened? Ruby didn't think so and Weiss wasn't sure. Thank the latter's lucky stars she apparently didn't and after being asked if she'd cure her Weiss would nod her head.

"I already offered to, but she wouldn't do it. Probably just nerves or something. Look. Miss- Umm.."

"Raven, but that's Mrs. Branwen to you kiddo."

"I'm at least five times older than you!"

"Could've fooled me."

"I'm a vampire!"

"While we're on the subject.."

The woman trailed off, looking between Ruby and Weiss before sighed and turning back around.

"I doubt it, but you can also go ahead and convert if you want to honey. None of us will judge. Or you can stay that way and become a dhampir. ..." There was something disconcerting about the way she started staring at Weiss again, and this went on for a good minute until she finally said something about it.

"Uh, Mrs. Branwen? I know there's nothing on my face so is there something you wanna ask?"

"..Those people that were trying to kill you two. I recognize them. You do too don't you?" A nod of the head from both girls, with Raven affirming she already knew Ruby did. "That night.. I still can't forget it. One of the worst nights of my life. I suppose you deserve to know too, that's why we're kind of edgy with your kind so forgive me if I come off as a little rough."

"I already put it together." Weiss cut her off, placing her hands on her lap and giving the floor another good long look. "It's a well-known story in our families. About ten years ago there was a dispute between a coven of vampires and some family of Hunters. The first claimed that they were unjustly attacked and a branch was exterminated by prejudiced humans, and called for action against the aggression. Nothing came of it though and the vampires retaliated by raiding one of their homes and killing everyone inside."

Raven confirmed that she was right so far and would frown as Ruby leaned into the door, looking out the window. Even talking about it..

"As it were that coven was the Crossbreakers, who stated that some of the people who initiated the attack had silver eyes. Thus they started preying on silver-eyed humans behind the scenes. The Rose family of Hunters were just the first.." Hearing this said silver-eyed Rose would look away and towards Weiss with a look of disbelief. Her family were Hunters..?

"Huh? What do you mean the Rose family of Hunters? Dad-"

"Your father didn't pick up the profession simply because he decided it was something he wanted to do, like he told you." Raven answered for her. "The truth is.. The Rose and Branwen families are what make up the White Flower, a sect of vampire killers. I know, brilliant name but the practice goes back for generations upon generations. Though they don't persecute like some say we do. We only go after the bad ones. Other inhuman species more or less don't bother us and we don't bother them but we've always had friction with their kind." Raven took a breath and continued. "Even with coexistence starting to become less of an issue there are those that.. Cling to the old ways."

"The Crossbreakers for one. It's where they got the name. They see humans more as prey than equals, and took that title as a statement of defiance. That they could break anything humans tried to use to change that perspective." Weiss explained.

"Correct. Although lately their hierarchy has been cracking from what we've collected. There are a few who are trying to leave those ways behind, and the rest splitting between realizing humans are becoming more of a threat than they gave them credit and deciding it'd be better to give them space, and those who think they should lash out against them. Fortunately most are with the former and kept the latter in line but then you have the radicals.. I recognized some of the ones there, wish I could have ran them over." The woman grumbled, shaking her head. Especially just like Ruby had realized. One or two were faces that had survived that terrible night and escaped the Xiao Long/Branwen pair's fury.

"But why? What did we ever do?!" Ruby almost screamed, looking like she was about to cry. The girl couldn't understand it. Sad to say none of the present company could either. As far as Raven (vaguely) knew this issue all arose from some 'he said she said' nonsense of whoever hit first and whatnot. The grudge against silver-eyed Hunters specifically came from the fact that Summer Rose who was Ruby Rose's mother wielded exceptional skill and both a famed and feared figure, among humans and hostile vampires respectively. She also had silver eyes, a mysterious but otherwise just that genetic trait that passed down through their family to their children. Thus Crossbreakers and those like them kept a watch for that trait.

"Look, Ruby, Weiss. We'll talk later. And we _will_ talk later. Right now though.. *sigh* I've got a lot on my mind. I want to go back home, have a drink- Actually I've got to go pick up my husband and my daughter and then go home and drink."

"Is dad gonna be okay?" Ruby asked hesitantly, not wanting any more bad news for tonight. Weiss just leaned back and watched the two of them. So was he her dad or her uncle or what? Yang was her cousin but called her sister? Though she did say she thought ofTaiyang and Raven as her parents. Or Raven said she could. Did they just keep confusing themselves or did the author just keep forgetting and switch it up as he went? Perhaps he was doing it just to screw with people.

"He'll be fine. Just a bad fever he's been dealing with like we thought." Thank gods, good news.. Ruby put a hand on her chest and let out a sigh of relief.

"Oh but your cousin's pregnant."

"WHAT?!"

"That's exactly what I said." Raven quipped, reaching over and starting the car. Just as a police motorcycle's lights went off about fifty yards behind them.

* * *

 _*just sorta spasms at the revelation* Ermahgerbil! What happened? You guys will find out. ..In a separate sidestory, ahahahaha!_

 _Whew, y'know I was working on this and I was like 'I'm gonna have to fit this into one chapter. Then the words started flowing and before I knew it I was at like 4500+ words, which has kinda been my goal more or less per chapter. I think I can easily fit in another 4k word chapter between now and the epilogue chapter. Chappy chappy chappa chapchap chapter. Funny word huh? Sounds like raptor._

 _So we've met Yang's hot momma (who is probably OOC but then again what do you expect when she's had like one line and maybe thirty seconds of screentime max, also artistic liberty). Things are about to get wicked. It ain't over yet. More fighting to come, just for Andilite! (sorta, originally something was supposed to happen and cut directly to Ruby bolting with Weiss but I figured why not give you a taste in case ya didn't feel like reading TRT)_

 _Also I did just lean on the fourth wall there._

 _Also also, FOUR FOR FOUR. YEAH. I'm surprised I haven't run out of steam yet. I probably will like soon as I finish penning the epilogue then I won't wanna do crap but murder something on Monster Hunter. Let's see if I can hit a fifth chapter tomorrow for y'all._

 _So more backstory got dished out. Apparently these Crossbreakers and Ruby's family have some issues that go way back and it boiled over, which is what got her parents killed in the crossfire. This is the part where I'd joke about the pun but not at Rubles' expense. Weiss and Raven are probably gonna have some words. Oh and another thing yeah Yang kinda tried to play wingwoman and invite Weiss to their house and meet Ruby off the clock. So that's her excuse for being able to barge in supposedly uninvited. What could that cop behind them want though? Did they catch Raven speeding in her kickass ride?_

 _Then again is that really a cop._

 _Inspectre Offline._


	5. Ashes In The Wake

_Inspectre Online._

 _Lock and load, we got some bloodsuckers to blast! But first, mail to answer!_

 _At Topaz Smith: We already PMed about this, puns are awesome so. Yeah._

 _At Bill Gopher: The sidestory with Yang and (spoiler) will be nice and juicily M-rated. Yeah the lemon scene wasn't really supposed to be as much of a focus as it was but I thought hey, why not try it out. Crossbreakers.. Not a nice group, and read on for the next bit._

 _So yeah some stuff happened last chapter and all that. ..I don't really have much to say in this A/N. Except that one of the following scenes was inspired by the chase scene in the Spawn movie, if you've seen it you'll know what I'm talking about._

* * *

"What do you mean she's pregnant?!" Ruby shrieked, not getting an answer as Raven lowered the window. Guess 'I was trying to escape a horde of vampires' wouldn't work, maybe she could flirt her way out of a ticket. One she really didn't need right now.

"That blonde girl you call your sister but she's really your cousin?" Weiss asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah! I mean she showed up the morning you- You fed on me-" Ruby stuttered, almost having let something slip. "-all scratched up and stuff, then she got sick and almost passed out. I have no idea what happened 'cause she wouldn't tell me.."

The vampiress looked away, muttering something under her breath and trying not to smirk. Oh she knew _exactly_ what happened, partially having been responsible for it. Not directly though. Still. No need to say anything and throw herself in hotter water.

"That girl is so irresponsible some times. I told her do as I say, not do as I do, now look what happens.. I'm going to wring her and that damn cat up by their ears when I got my hands on them again." Raven trailed off under her breath as that police motorcycle rolled up beside them. Wait didn't they usually park off behind whoever they pulled over? The woman rolled the window down as the cop tapped on the door, eyes widening and ducking when a sawed-off shotgun blast took out part of the opposing one and its window. 'Sonofabitch!' she yelled, Ruby screaming and Weiss reaching forward when she saw the glint of steel came from her side. Two shots from Raven's personal .357 magnum sent the cop? sprawling off of her bike and after the woman lifted her head and aimed out the window another would finish the job. Right to the head.

"They're following us." The Schnee princess hissed, looking out the back window. More motorcycles though not police grade were forming a barricade line in the street behind them as two cars pulled up in front. They were penned in. At least that's what those persistent Crossbreakers might be thinking. The Jaguar came to life as Raven started it back up, quickly contemplating her options as she reloaded her revolver. "Mrs. Branwen, can you trust me?"

The woman looked back at Weiss as she snapped the cylinder back in, her gaze cutting in before answering with a curt 'maybe'. As soon as she did Weiss turned to Ruby, asking her the same question.

"I.. I can. Wait, what are you planning?"

"Our escape, but I need to recover more of my lost energy."

"..."

"I'm.. Going to need another dose of your blood."

"..."

"Which means I have to-"

"I know!" The girl shouted. Bike engines were revved and doors opened, only to shut as the Coupe's engine revved as well to say 'don't get any bright ideas now'. Once more Weiss asked Raven if she could trust her.

"I'm not exactly popping with escape plans here besides running them over, and I reeaally don't wanna get blood all over my Jag. Just hurry it up, and don't drain her too much. I don't have any transfusion equipment in this car if you go overboard."

"Thank you. I know this will probably make you uncomfortable but-"

"Weiss. You being a vampire has nothing to do with it. ..Is what I'd like to say but. All my life I've fought your kind. I know there are good ones and there are bad ones, yet through it all I've never really gotten used to seeing something like that. Especially what happened with my brother and his wife ten years ago. I just.. Do it quickly."

"Y-Yes ma'am."

She turned to Ruby with reluctance in her eyes, realizing that the first two times she put the girl through the experience she probably relived that memory every time. Ruby in turn seemed to catch on to this and softly told her it was okay. If it helped them get away safely then she didn't mind, too much.

"Ruby, I.. I really, truly am sorry for what I put you through. There's just something about you that I can't place. I don't know what it is but-"

"Zip it. I said save it for later. There's some things I want to get off my chest too but right now we have more important things to worry about. Oh but I am sorry for stabbing you and melting your face though."

Weiss simply glared and then jumped forward, pushing Ruby up against the side of the car and grabbing her gently by the shoulders. Again it filled the air, both of them hearing the awkward silence as if it were a deafening thunder. Hearts beat faster, breathing slowed to a stop in expectation.. Cheeks heated and then for the third time white fangs embedded in almost white skin releasing the red wine that she craved.

Just like before there was a euphoric rush. That sweet metallic taste that transcended anything before it, the surging of power filling her veins.. Ruby gasped as the act was performed and gripped her forearms with a strength that defying logic got tighter instead of looser. For even as her blood was drained the vampire essence within was extending its hold and pushing limits past what a normal human could be capable of. Feeling Weiss' lips on her neck she started to moan. Raven tried her best to hide her discomfort which brought on for more than one reason, joking that if Ruby was anything like Summer then her neck was her weak spot. If the other brunette had been in any position to exclaim at that she would have but right now her mind was a blissful blank.

Finally Weiss finished taking what she wanted, careful not to lose herself in the act. Licking her lips the vampiress turned towards the front and jumped into the passenger seat, looking at the driver with a determined stare. No words were needed and the car hit reverse before pulling around into a 180 rotation to face the back line. And in a bit of childish spite which if asked would claim to be for extra room, Raven made sure to back over the Crossbreaker who shot up her car. Then with a stomp she put the accelerator to the floor. Tires spun and screeched all across the road as their pursuers filed suit. Brazenly the motorcyclists would rev their engines again and charge to meet the incoming vehicle rather than move aside.

"Well?! Show me what you got kiddo!"

"With pleasure." Weiss sported a grotesque smile that almost stretched from ear to ear as that ice blue and white eye started to dim, turning the entire orb pitch black as shadows rose up from beneath the Jaguar. Its headlights flickered and died as darkness consumed the vehicle. All Raven could see was the vague outlines of the vampires in front of her as they leapt from their bikes with weapons raised high, only too late realizing their impending destruction at the hands of the multiple chevaux de frise forming across the car. Long black bars that stretched from the front to back across the doors and one over the hood, with javelin-shaped pikes jutting outwards that riddled their bodies and engulfed it in a storm of ashes as their fallen bikes were smashed aside. With the line broken it all dissipated and they barreled down the street. The few Crossbreakers that escaped their fate would spin around and follow close behind the two cars giving chase. Then it begun.

"So.. Whew. I assume you have a backup plan? The cavalry is on the way right?" Weiss asked, her eye returning to normal as she leaned back in the seat, clearly short of breath after that taxing use of her abilities.

"Sort of, and not really. In fact we're on the way TO the cavalry." Raven growled, seeing headlights persistent in her mirror despite her best abilities to outrun them. Even though she handled her Jaguar like a professional the ones behind her had about the same level of skill with experience to surpass. If not for one daredevil rider getting in close and consequently being shot off their bike by another pop from that .357 magnum they would have swarmed. Plus that shadowy display while not exactly repeatable (which they didn't know) had them on edge so for now they seemed to be hanging back, yet still closely enough to not lose sight of their prey.

"Oh goody. Wake me when we get there." Weiss remarked sarcastically. Raven just rolled her eyes.

"What's the matter princess? Don't tell me you're a one shot stud." This caused her to start spluttering and fuming with embarrassment before a jerk of the wheel had her sliding into the door with a shout. "Told you to get in the back."

"Whatever!"

Climbing into the backseat to check on Ruby she'd voice her surprise at how.. Fine the girl seemed to be. Sure she was a slight bit disoriented but otherwise hearty and hale. Not one but two relatively close feedings would leave most people laying on the floor. Then again as the vampiress recently found out she had generations of Hunter genetics and whatnot passed along to her. Plus it was very rare that those being sired went longer than a few days before the thirst consumed them.

"We're special. How're you doing back there honey? Still with us?" The concern was easily heard in her voice but quickly faded after getting a short 'I'm fine!' in response. "Good. Now hold on to something."

The black Jaguar Coupe continued to streak through the city like a- Well a jaguar on the prowl as they continued to evade the Crossbreakers. If 'evade' could even be the proper word. It was unsettling how they were sticking to them yet not chasing too closely. Raven even slowed the car down just a bit or took wide and exposing turns around corners at random to confirm her suspicions. Then it hit her. Or almost hit her, and the rest of the people inside as well as a large pickup truck came flying past then and almost crashed into the driver's front corner. Sneaky little- If it hadn't been for Ruby shouting to hit the brakes.. Again rubber burned and smoked as the hunt continued.

"How far until we get to where we're going? Do they know how to fight those things? ..You called ahead right? Right? ...Mrs. Branwen!"

"Umm.. It's gonna be a surprise?"

"What?!"

"I didn't exactly have the Belmonts on speed dial when I came over to check on my daughter! As soon as I saw all the ashes in front of the house and the blood on the ground I took off to find her!" Raven shot back, grumbling something about irresponsible daughters. Getting closer now.. Just a little further and they'd be right outside the house of a friend of hers. Someone who was also a vampire killer. Between herself, Ruby (if she could still fight), Weiss, and another Hunter there shouldn't be any problems unless even more Crossbreakers joined the fray.

"Now I see where these two get their impulsiveness from." Said white haired girl snipped with a smirk.

"Listen here brat, I-" "LOOK OUT."

Her eyes shot up just in time to see something horrifying. Not in the scary monster face sense but rather something that struck fear and possibly despair into one's heart. Then again the RPG wielding Crossbreaker crouching atop the corner of a single story store just a block down had a rather nefarious and hideous visage as the weapon was shouldered and fired, a violent wrenching of the wheel being the only thing that saved them from being blown to smithereens. Nevertheless the explosive force would rock the vehicle and throw it over onto its side, resulting in several tumbles that busted windows and crushed metal every time it hit the road. The sudden impact of rebar-reinforced concrete brought this to an immediate halt.

...

 ***an uncertain but undoubtedly very brief time later***

...

All she could see was red as she opened her eyes. Fire and blood filled her vision, the crunching glass digging into her skin as Raven struggled to regain her composure. The Jaguar's right side was almost wrapped around a street post, no doubt leaking oil everywhere and heating with the crawling flames that covered the outside. However with the blast coming from the left she'd been nearly knocked unconscious. Weakly she called to the two girls, hoping they were still alive.

"..Ruby? Weiss? Answer me! If you're still okay answer me! Please.."

It hurt to move. A few calming breaths at least gave her the assurance that nothing was broken, thanks to her rigidly trained endurance. There was too much smoke to see and with the car sitting on its roof it took some kind of effort to unsheathe her odachi and cut into the seatbelt. However getting out of her new metal prison was another task altogether. The kind folks outside had that handled as they tore the door off by its hinges and threw it away, grabbing her by the arm and doing the same to her. Minus the tearing. Lights filled the area as the pursuing vehicles sat parked around the crash site, other vampires descending from above once they managed to catch up. Some wielding weapons and some barefisted.. With a growl the woman forced herself to her feet and fully unsheathed her blade.

With snarls all around they'd attack in greater numbers than before. They knew all too well what kind of threat she was. Even so, knowing what was to come and actually stopping it were two different things. They certainly weren't able to stop that gleaming sword as it tore into their ranks.

The first had their head taken clean off. Sidestep, raise, swing down. Nothing fancy, nothing extraneous. A slight of one hand to catch its falling pipe and block an incoming strike, the other cutting straight through her attacker with a slice almost too fast for normal eyes to catch.. With such impeccable skill it was no wonder she was a member of White Flower by both birth and right. Two others rushed to fill the void, one swinging a baseball bat for her head and the other jumping to try and stab at her throat. Dropping that pipe to catch it dead on Raven swung high with her foot and snapped the second in the throat. This would have broken a normal human's hand and wrist but right now pain was being overpowered by adrenaline and fury, plus Raven was no ordinary woman. Without touching the ground her foot came down a bit then over to the side for another windpipe crushing hit. With that arm now trapped between her legs she pulled and broke it, kicking the vampire away with a shout. Then before it could get up the tip of her odachi found its heart. Blinded by rage the other one she'd kicked had its legs taken clean off and decapitated without posing too much of a threat.

Wiping blood and tiny pieces of glass from her face off on her arm Raven looked around herself. How many..? Still about thirty. Wait. Weiss and Ruby, were they alive? She risked a glance towards her car, only to see it go up in a blaze that consumed it entirely. The burning wreckage reflected as she stood transfixed, anguish clutching her heart as that dreadful image started to shimmer in her eyes. "No.. No! Rubyyyy!" She screamed. Another explosion forced her to again raise her arm and slowly drop it. The soft pitterpattering of falling tears was lost amongst the roar of the flames. Perhaps to savor her despair the Crossbreakers had all paused, dark grins stretching across their features.

"Let this be a lesson to you foolish Huntress.. None will oppose our kind. Yours are nothing more than prey-" The female vampire's condescending lecture was swiftly cut off by a superhuman punch that shattered her jaws and sent teeth flying, as well as left the puncher's knuckles bleeding and bruised. With an inhuman scream that shook the surrounding undead to the core Raven flew forward and started swinging at whatever was misfortunate enough to be within reach. Heads were severed and limbs lopped like small branches, blood and sinew spraying and covering her from head to toe. She no longer cared what she cut, just that she was cutting.

This greatly unnerved the Crossbreakers and the majority of them would leap back, signs of this visible on their gaunt and twisted faces. The rest that wanted to try their luck were put down like dogs. One got lucky and took hold of her hair, yanking her back and tearing into her neck. Just barely it missed the jugular. With a violent thrust her odachi found itself buried to the hilt and would impale another vampire on the way out. Withdrawing, a horizontal crescent swing and both were decapitated in a flash, falling to their knees and then into ashes.

A combination of pain and overexertion however were starting to take their toll. Vision fogging, body shaking, it was possible she'd gotten a concussion. Her assailants seemed to pick up on this and would bare their fangs and claws once more, ready to pounce when something caught everyone's attention. A third explosion from the still lit conflagration that used to be her car, shadows writhing and struggling to pull themselves free. Two clawed arms grabbed on to the post and to the bottom (technically top) of the car as the pod-shaped thing they were attached to was pulled free with grating noises and rough jerks. Then the intact if seriously rattled forms of two girls appeared as the shadow dissipated into black wisps.

"Oh thank god.. You're alright..!" Raven put on a relieved smile, tears of sadness turning to joy. This didn't please the Crossbreakers one bit and it _showed_ as well as sounded. Over the noise Weiss apologized that she didn't have time to notify the woman of what she was doing or bring her in on it, which Raven waved aside. After all Ruby was alive and that was the most important thing.

"You're not looking too hot yourself. Want some help cleaning up?"

"I've got this under control, just.. Take care of her for me."

"Hey I can fight!" Ruby objected, jumping to her feet and then stumbling back. Not presenting her case very well but Weiss was there to help her stay upright.

"Take it easy Ruby. ..There's a lot of them." Weiss noted as she looked around. Thirty, no- Forty.. Wait. There were that many last time. Just how many had they sent for one girl? Or were they expecting to have to fight Taiyang and Raven as well? One even came with or at least had a rocket launcher of some sort as they'd just found out. This had been planned.

"I'll take the dozen over there, you take that side, and mom's got the rest."

"I know I said this once already but you are _so much_ like your cousin." Raven remarked with a chuckle and then a coughing fit, blood flecking her fist. "And a little bit like your mother."

"So wait is she your mother or your aunt?" Weiss asked, looking a little bit confused. Ruby seemed to not hear her and auntie Raven would simply quip something about technicalities before stepping over to the two. She'd raised her as her own and would protect her like her own. Either way they were still family. A family that stood back to back as they faced the again surrounding vampires. A pair of hawthorn stakes were retrieved from her boots and tossed to Ruby as she withdrew her magnum, opened it, and slowly rolled the cylinder before flicking it back shut.

"I like these odds better, everybody ready?" The other two nodded, bodies tense and weapons ready. Even Weiss would form a rapier of solid white ice in her hand before holding it vertical, ready to pin the first enemy that came her way. All of them were on the edges of their feet as they probed for any opening or weakness. Then several circled around towards Ruby's point of the triangle, growling and snarling like a pack of circling wolves.

That noise halted at the drop of a hat, as well as the drop of the upper halves of several aforementioned Crossbreakers when an unidentified object came hurtling through the air and bisected them in a blur. Looking back to where it had came from would lead to a tall and muscular figure and through the path of dying vampires to an eight foot monster of a tower sword with a black blade and a white handle, what looked like solid red eyes and teeth painted on the inch thick blade's end reminiscent of the face one would see on a WWII fighter plane. It'd eventually run out of steam after maybe its sixth kill, clanging to the street covered in ashes

The male was 6'7" and every inch of it solid muscle partially exposed by the outfit he was wearing. One look at it just screamed biker. Black leather all around, studs and spikes.. A jacket was removed and slung over his shoulder to reveal a sleeveless vest ending with leather bracers, wrists, gloves with studded knuckles. Those gloves were removed as well and put in the pocket of rugged jeans ending with a pair of heavy duty biker boots. Completing the look he also had a pair of dogtags hanging around his neck along with a spiked collar. Copper red spiky hair came down over his back down to his shoulderblades, streaked with bits of white almost like a Siberian husky's fur.

"Goddam blood sucking maggots, what a drag.. I was in the middle of somethin'."

"Hey!' Weiss shouted indignantly.

"Present company excluded, my bad princess. ..Wait you are a princess aren't you? You're that chiclet from the Zahne family." He spoke a bit coarsely and with a disinterested/disdainful frown would look around at the remaining Crossbreakers. The ones standing anywhere remotely between the three females and the new arrival would beat a hasty retreat, several splitting off and trying to circle him. Divide and collide, spread and swarm. Splitting like this was a common tactic.

"You have made an egregious error, human. Perhaps if you had merely borne witness we would let you go but raising your hand against us.. The Crossbreakers grant no quarter, no mercy."

"Blah blah blah, shut the Hell up and kick rocks. I ain't got time for this." One hand came up to clasp his shoulder while it twisted, stretching his arm and then his neck as some kind of warmup exercise.

"You dare- We shall remove your tongue!"

At least five of them rushed, the mysterious stranger catching the first two by the wrist. A straight sidekick completely shattered one's jaw before he shifted on his standing foot to come over and knock the second one's fangs into her mouth. Releasing them to grab the backs of their heads they were forced into a headbutt with a sickening crunch. A double elbow drop then put them both on the ground before he went on the offensive. The third swung overhead with a sledgehammer but it was backhanded aside into the concrete, shattering it for at least a yard. Dropping for a leg sweep also dropped their face on the head of said sledgehammer and a snap punch knocked them clean out. Talk about between a rock and a hard place.. As soon as he stood up the final two were dealt with. A running start transitioned into a jump kick that broke the fourth's guard (and what sounded like their wrist) and then an uppercut, followed by two left and right hooks, a rapidfire series of alternating stomach jabs, and a knee smash that sent them flying back several feet. The fifth bared his fangs and attempted to stick him with a stiletto but he grabbed his wrist and punched the back of his elbow hard to snap the arm the opposite way it was supposed to bend. Pulling the would-be stabber close the same arm he used to punch then drove right into his stomach elbow first, doubling the vampire over for a straight strike with the back of his hand to the chin. When they reeled back the opposite arm came flying around for a haymaker that bowled them over and rolled them across the street.

"Well you guys tried. Who else is up?" The man cracked his knuckles, glaring at the rest of the Crossbreakers as the ones he'd just beaten down struggled to their feet if possible and slinked/crawled away. "I don't even need my sword for scum like you. In fact it'd just be a waste of time to have to clean it after."

Tides were finally starting to turn. The presumed dead vampiress was back in action and the silver eyed girl as well, even if the black haired swordswoman was only at two thirds efficiency.. Police were on their way too. In the dead of night, save for the crackling of flaming wreckage one could hear sirens if they focused hard enough. Swallowing hateful bile and biting back venomous words the Crossbreakers all slowly started to step away. Then in the blink of an eye they scattered. Raven took a few steps forward to shout at their backs that she'd be hunting them down and making them pay for her car before sheathing her sword and holstering her gun.

"Glad you showed up Rave.. We were actually on the way over but as you can see we.. Got sidetracked." The woman said, gesturing at her overturned and demolished Coupe.

"Yeah, I see that. So you were gonna dump this on me huh? At least try to bring me more of a challenge next time." 'Rave' said as he walked over and picked up his weapon, heaving it up with both hands and then slinging it over his shoulder after putting his gloves and jacket back on.

"How did you even know?"

"I heard a giant explosion off a couple blocks over, what'd you think I was gonna do? Keep- Well that's not important. I was in the neighborhood." He quickly answered, glancing past her at the other two girls and then down at Raven. "You look pretty banged up too. C'mon I'll walk you ladies home."

"Your place or mine?"

"I don't want you bleeding on my carpet so what do you think?"

"It's a long walk."

"I've got nothing better to do. Maybe they'll come back for more and I can get a good workout."

The two back and forth'd, Ruby giggling and placing her stakes in her pocket. Suddenly she was starting to feel very cold out in just her pajamas.. Weiss being around wasn't helping with the menacing ice aura she was letting off. The swordsman seemed to catch this and would stare at her before clearing his throat.

"I'm a weredog, not a werewolf. Don't get your panties in a bunch."

"That explains the smell." Weiss noted rather dryly, clarifying that she meant the scent of werebeast within him. Canine werebeast exactly as she was already familiar with their kind. In fact a certain werecat was a close friend of hers.

"So you'd seriously walk us back to our place Mr..?" Ruby started, clearly inquiring his name.

"Rave. Rave Pitch. Your aunt and I were friends back in elementary. And middle school and high school. Long story. You're Ruby right? And- Hell no, I'm not walking that far. Neither are you three. Not with those psychos still out there. Plus, I mean the whole blood-covered badass samurai look really suits you but I think you need a trip to the hospital. You could be concussed, have glass in your brain, and who knows what kind of diseases those maggots were carrying."

"I really don't like your tone." Weiss frowned, crossing her arms.

"Yeah and I really don't like vampires. Get over it kid."

"Kid? I'm at least five times your age!" She exclaimed.

"Coulda fooled me."

"Echo, echo, echo.." Ruby meeped and zipped her lips as Weiss turned that frown on her, rolling her eyes and walking away. This brought a smirk to both of the others' faces as she then approached the single male.

"Well then lead the way Mr. Pitch. I suppose you can have the honor of escorting us. ..You really don't look too good, he's got a point." Raven scoffed.

"I'll be fine. Damn, my phone's in the car. I need to call Yang and let her know what's going on.."

Rave thumbed over his shoulder and down the street, towards the sounds of approaching sirens. "If you just wanna chill out here I'm sure the cops will escort you to the hospital. Probably the same one as your old man. They could probably do a better job of patching you up than I could."

Weiss turned back around, looking at Ruby for a few moments. A little longer than she meant to and this caused the brunette to turn a little pink. Though she was undeniably cute there was something bugging her. Not really about the girl, just.. Perhaps it was nothing but something was making her uneasy. Something ominous.

Over allegations of wanting to take her clothes off, and denying said allegations and accusations of being a tease and a flirt Rave and Raven started walking.

"C'mon Ruby, let's go. The sooner we can get out of here the better."

"Right behind you Wei-"

Weiss stopped, turning around as the sound of flying arrows hit her ears, a full barrage of them having been shot into Ruby's back by incredibly spiteful Crossbreakers well over 100 yards away from sets of compound crossbows. Giving chase would be both impossible and pointless as judging by the glint from their scopes rather than press their luck the vampires wisely fled. As the girl fell to her knees her open hands hovered by the barbed tips protruding from her stomach and chest.

"RUBYYYYY!"

The scream instantly alerted the two adults, who spun to see what happened. Raven's eyes immediately widened, temporarily in shock as Weiss slid to the ground and caught her falling body. Rave recovered next and slammed his blade down to embed it in the concrete before crouching at her side. Everything was in slow motion, ringing in her ears, dull noise until someone shouted her name. Running to her niece's side the woman got on her knees, hesitant to touch her. Oh god the blood.. There was so much of it..

"Ruby! Ruby! Hold on Ruby, we're gonna get you to a doctor! Just hang in there! I won't let you die here..!"

"She's.. She's taken some pretty critical hits here. If I know my anatomy-"

"Shut up! She's going to make it!" Raven screamed at the male, who flinched as if he'd been bit. But he understood. This girl was the last thing she had to remember her brother by. Aside from old keepsakes and photos.

"Mom.."

"Hush kiddo, everything's gonna be okay. Don't talk. Save your energy."

"..."

"..."

Rave and Weiss shared a look. As much as they wanted to believe otherwise there was no denying it. No less than a dozen arrows had penetrated her body, many hitting vital spots on the way through and just avoiding instant fatality by hairwidths.

"It hurts.. It's cold.. I wanna go home.. I wanna see dad, and sis.."

Raven was starting to crumble, hands trembling as she placed one on Ruby's shoulder.

"I said it's g-going to be okay, d-don't-" A long, shaky breath. "An ambulance is definitely on the way, you're a tough girl. You can hang on." Her voice cracked. It was harder than any fight or battle she'd endured in her life, trying not to fracture as memories of back then came flooding. Dreams that had turned to nightmares replayed in her mind at the reality before her. Every fiber of her being was trying to refuse the fact she was watching her niece slowly die before her eyes.

The others were silent as Raven stroked her hair, somehow not a sobbing mess by now. Tears were definitely however streaming down her cheeks as the sirens grew louder and closer. With a sudden realization, yet one she knew might not go over well.. Well it had to be said. The chance was there.

"Ruby."

'Weiss.."

"Ruby, I'm.. I'm not sure how to say this but.. Oh god, I don't want you to die Ruby!" She let out a single sob, clenching her fists and then taking Ruby's hand. "You know if you.. If you feed on one of them.. You can turn into a vampire."

"If she's started turning then- You're asking her to take Death's hand to cheat it."

"Absolutely not!"

Raven answered right after he did, her crimson eyes glaring daggers at the vampiress who shouted right back that the alternative was watching her bleed out and die for good. She was speechless and bit her lip, looking down at Ruby with conflicting emotions in her eyes. Becoming one of _them_.. Even to save her life?

"It's up to you." Was all the woman could answer with. She'd have supported her decision to become a dhampir, what was going all the way despite her many misgivings? They looked towards the girl with expectant gazes, yet the two females' hearts sank when she slowly shook her head.

"But- Ruby. You- You can't die here! I don't want you to! I don't want you to leave me..!"

Rave had started to say something about how she couldn't force her but chose to keep his mouth shut as Weiss cupped her cheek. Her cheeks that tinged pink again as she beamed back up at the vampiress.

"I don't want to turn.. I'm sorry Weiss.."

"If you're afraid, trust me. You won't become a monster. I can walk you through it, it takes some getting used to but-" Another shake of the head stopped her mid sentence.

"It's not that. I.. I want to see mom and dad.. I'll never get that chance again if I stay."

The sirens were close now. Yet none of them registered. All they could do was focus on her. Feelings were boiling up inside Weiss as she tried not to cry. Like the woman across from her silent tears were falling as she tried to hold on. It was becoming ever so difficult when her heart felt like it was going to rip right in half. Again silence came over the group before Weiss spoke up again.

"If that's what you want."

"I'm sorry." She gasping and shuddered in her lap, eliciting a start from the others. "I don't want to leave anybody-"

"You don't have to say anything. I understand." Weiss stopped her, giving an understanding smile in return. Even though the last thing she wanted to do, felt capable of doing, was smiling.

Another minute passed in silence, until she then said two words. 'I'm sorry.' "I'm sorry for everything."

"You don't have to be.. And Weiss?"

"Yes Ruby?" Weiss wiped her eyes on her cape, sniffling.

"It's okay.. I realized.. I don't hate you. For any of it. I.. I can't say I forgive you, but I'm not holding it against you anymore. I've let go.. Ever since I saw you in the cafe.. I wanted to see you again, to talk to you, but-"

"I kept blowing you off. I didn't want to get attached to you. That stupid story.." Well Ruby wouldn't know about it, or she might have heard superstitious whispers of it before. Weiss certainly had. Her mother used to tell her that story all the time when she was young. Before she stopped aging and became a full vampire. Yet funny thing is she never believed it, neither of them did. "I could feel something every time I looked at you, and it kept confusing me. I was worried that I was already getting too close so I kept my distance. That night, I was really going to kill you. Just once, and it'd be over. I could escape this. But I couldn't do it."

Ruby was silent, and Weiss could feel those crimson eyes boring into her even without looking.

"So instead I took you back to your house. Thank that blonde idiot or I wouldn't have been able to go in. She tried to invite me over once so we could hang out together."

"Heh.. That sounds like my sis.. Always looking out for me. I keep telling her I'm not a baby y'know."

The two of them laughed, stopping when the mortally wounded one started coughing again. Blood came up every time she did and Weiss would hurriedly place a comforting hand on her chest. Only when it stopped could she relax. If just barely, given the situation.

"..After that. Everything changed. I couldn't drink anyone else's blood. I felt like I wanted to heave. Only once could I force it down and I didn't feel much better. Eventually I called my sister. Found out what might- What was wrong. After that.. I know we didn't exactly have the greatest reunion but I came back to apologize, I truly did."

"I know, Weiss.."

"And I realized. When I fed from you today.. It was exhilarating. It was.. Unbelievable. Like nothing I'd ever felt before. Even the first time I fed on you paled in comparison. I can't lie to myself anymore. Ruby Rose, I.. I love you."

Ruby's face reddened amidst the deathly pallor, her cheeks becoming warm. With a beaming smile she whispered the same. This left Weiss in shock, never having expected she'd say it back.

"Every time.. I wanted to sit with you. Get to know you better. You kept coming back, and it felt like you were watching me every time. Just once, I thought if we could spend some time.. Maybe.. Even after what's happened.. I wanted to despise you, but at the same time I couldn't."

There wasn't a dry eye left among them save for the one male next to them, and even then his heart was heavy. This wasn't the first time he'd seen someone innocent die at the hands of inhumans. Especially vampires. This also wasn't the first time he watched one of his best friends mourn and grieve. He'd been there as soon as he'd heard about Summer and Qrow. It had even been what drove him to do something with his strength, a passion to throw it at. Protecting people so they wouldn't have to suffer the same way these three all were.

"At first I thought it was something you did, like something.. Took a hold of me. But it wasn't that. I still wanted to see you, even if it was just to ask why. When you didn't come back.. I thought I'd be relieved but I just wanted it more badly. To see your face, and hear your voice.. I kinda.. Boiled over though when I did.. I'm sorry too, Weiss."

Weiss shook her head. It was okay. It was okay. She repeated this over and over, caressing her still warm cheek. They could hear them now. The sirens, the tires.. Raven finally found her voice, choking out a last request. To say hello to her brother when she.. She couldn't say it, but the message was understood. And to her mother too, whom she'd felt was a true sister to her. If an in law.

Ruby managed one final nod before she breathed her last, and passed away in their arms. After what felt like an eternity her aunt would gently close her eyes before picking her up. Police cruisers came screeching into the area right after, about two armored transports spilling fully equipped vampire killers onto the street armed to the teeth with stake launchers, glass flasks of holy water and garlic bombs, metal armor both painted and engraved with crosses.. There were even a few special units within, a female manticore woman casting a poisonous gaze over the carnage. At first their guns had been raised but after seeing the ash piles a command was given to lower them as they swept over and made sure everything was truly clear.

Not two steps further and Raven finally broke, her legs giving out and Rave catching both her and Ruby's body as she started wailing. Her own body was wracked with sobs as she leaned into him, pouring out unrestrained grief. It wasn't much longer until Weiss followed suit. As the police forces continued to comb the area and surround the three of them, so unkindly did those Crossbreakers' ashes scatter.

* * *

 _Yeah I know I'm a bastard. Before people start gathering torches and pitchforks, the story will go on! Also look at the tags. Ruby is sadly going to remain 'dead' but it'll have a happy ending, I swear. How? Read it and find out. Also IGNORE the next chapter because that epilogue is getting scrapped and the story continuing. Unless you wanna read it anyway. I'll leave it up until the proper chapter 6 is there to replace it._

 _P.S. Over 7k words holy crap, was not expecting that. Nice work brain. *high fives it* Now let's get this baby out the oven!_

 _Inspectre Offline._


	6. Boiling Blood

_Inspectre Online._

 _Hoooooly Snapple bottles Batman this was way overdue. This is just a little thing to kickstart the story back up. It'll really get rollin' in the next two chapters. Also the following part of the A/N was written like aaaages ago back when I thought I was ready to start on this again so just a heads up._

 _So. Guess who's back with a brand new rap and I don't mean rap as in a new case of wthwasthat._

 _Eminem reference aside yeah it's pretty much like Andilite said. I went back the next day and looked at the epilogue (and in a case of deja vu with looking at a character biography I had written for a StarCraft OC two years ago (at the time of said looking)) and was like "..What the Hell did I write.". Which I don't think it was that BAD honestly. Just.. Had some glaring defects that hindered it from being as good as it could be. For starters, the massive timeskip glossing over some pretty important details and leaving a lot to imagination. Oh and.. ..That's pretty much it actually. The rest, well, some people might think Ruby coming back cheapens chapter 5 but for the last time I don't write tragic endings and sad stories. Dark stories or tragic moments maybe but my stories will always have a silver lining in those at some point in time._

 _So yeah._

 _SPOILER ALERT BTW in case you're just getting into this and the old chapter 6 was baleeted by now._

 _Chapter 6 is getting a rewrite! We're gonna cover some things you guys might like to learn about/see along the way. How everyone coped with Ruby's 'death', the whole situation with the Crossbreakers, Ruby's reunion? with her parents, the whole resurrection into a Wight.. Oh and the process of said resurrection which involves gathering some rare ingredients. More OCs will be introduced, though only one that I can think of at the moment. One of those liches from the epilogue who will play a crucial role in the story. We're also gonna meet ol' King Adam and his mighty band of mega morphin' minotaurs! ..That was a mighty morphin' power rangers joke, they're not werebulls or anything. Yes there are werebulls. Might sound wierd/silly but essentially (for this story) there is a race called werekin, who are born with the ability to morph between 3 forms. Plain and simple human (with some physical prowess enhancement), a form equivalent to a Faunus (with more features), and an anthropomorphic form. Anyway I digress._

 _SPOILERS OVER._

 _Review answering ti- Holy crap where did all those views come from? This story is already catching up to The Royal Test somewhat. I have no idea why but I'mma give the people what they want. ..To an extent. Anyway. EDIT: I will answer all reviews for the last chapter and this one in the next chapter's opening A/N. In a bit of a hurry to get this out for y'all._

 _Post writing edit: Over 90 follows, Jebus why is this so popular? Well let the people eat cake! Or whatever they want. I could go for a well-done steak right about now._

 _Now.. Let's DO DIS. *shotgun * Hell, it's about time. Talk about looooong overdue._

* * *

The barren lands around the Zahne felt emptier than they ever had before. Colder. Darker. Sadder. The long journey home gave the injured princess a long time to wallow in her anguish. She could have simply flown there but the concentration to hold her flying form for any extended period of time was lacking. Being no short trip down the block it was well into the rising sun that Weiss finally made it 'home' to the Zahne castle. Her clothes were torn, holey, and ripped in several places, but otherwise she seemed to be fine.

Strictly physically speaking anyway. On the inside her emotions were in turmoil like a whirlpool threatening to drag her heart into a blackened depth that light could never reach again. Watching Ruby die had nearly ripped it in half right then and there but she understood to an extent why the girl had made her choice not to become undead. After all there was her reluctance to become a vampire, one of the creatures responsible for murdering her family in cold blood so long ago There was also the fact that if she did then there wouldn't be another chance for her to see them again for a very long time. Vampires were after all ageless and the most powerful could keep on un-living so long as they drank blood and were not killed in conflict. The latter Weiss would fight tooth and nail to prevent of course. Maybe it was better for her that she died as she lived, human. Ruby was probably embracing her lost parents even now, driven to overjoyed tears at their final reunion.

That cast the tiniest light on the vampiress' heart, thinking that at the least she was happy. It wasn't much consolidation though.. Nor was the fact that now her 'curse' was lifted and she could go back to drinking blood as normal. All thanks to those damnable Crossbreakers. Damn them and every one of their kind..

Just thinking about them made grief transition to anger, anger lead the way for fury, and fury to elicit a discharge of subzero aura from her eye with an infuriated scream. An expanding dome field of white energy was emitted many yards from her being, scattering a few black birds that were roosting on the nearby trees and sending them off into the eclipsed sky. Some of them were quite unlucky and fell with muffled thumps into what was now a layer of frozen and sandy dirt as solid sculptures of ice. In a fit of rage Weiss lashed out, absolute claws shearing through the closest tree and toppling it to the ground as cold shards of earth went flying. Oh there would be _Hell_ to pay. Cold. Frozen. Hell.

Continuing on as her shoes crunched through the frost she made her way to the drawbridge of the Zahne castle, the same two nearly headless (sort of) knights idly chatting until they spotted the princess. Right away they noticed her injured condition, sans the actual scars and just the empty places of her clothes where they had been inflicted, as well as the overwhelming hatred rolling off of her that sent cold chills up even their undead spines. Even the normally antagonistic jester in front of the portcullis knew this was not the time for jokes and immediately stood aside, allowing his partner to open the gate as if his life depended on it before she took the damn thing apart. They didn't even speak for fear of becoming victims of her current temperament, silently watching her storm on through into the main courtyard area.

The place was just as sparsely busy as it was the first time she came through to speak with her sister, robed figures casually walking about with their minions in tow while other guardians trained in one of the corners against wooden dummies and targets and others sat by the deadened trees to read. The various activities going on all came to a screeching halt one after the other, the clanging of steel and the gibbering of zombies all ceasing. Someone even dropped their box of alchemy ingredients, none nearby hardly paying it any attention. After all one of the royal family had just stepped into the area covered in blood (some of their own at that), their clothes partially battle damaged and in some places burned, smelling slightly of holy water and garlic.. It was easy to infer vague ideas of what happened but they all came to elicit the same things. Shock, confusion, worry.

"I'm fine. Leave me be." Weiss growled at one of the soldiers who had stuck his axe into the ground to come check on her. One of the last things she wanted right now was to talk to anyone. Her primary objective was to go barricade herself into her room, possibly turn it inside out to relieve stress, then cry herself to sleep. If she didn't turn someone else inside out first and though she could forgive their intrusive concern it was grating her nerves. "I said leave me be. I assure you I am fine!" This time Weiss almost snarled, glaring at him.

"P-Princess, I don't mean disrespect. If there's anything we can do, perhaps one of your siblings-"

"BEGONE."

And this time she shouted, both eyes filling with black as the surrounding air dropped several degrees. The male finally conceded, realizing the situation and backing away with a salute. Turning on her heel the vampiress stomped away for the castle interior's entrance. When she was out of sight he then looked left and right, several other dullahan knights coming to the same conclusion as they broke off into a run for different areas of the ancient building. The Family had to be informed.

...

*several minutes later*

...

"An' so I hooked him right in the jaw. He went flyin' off about I don't know.. I wanna say at least ten paces. Taurs ain't exactly lightweights but I was pretty riled up at the moment."

"Fascinating. Truly. Please tell me more."

"Hey humor a feller won'tcha? Might as well be talkin' to a skeleton. Least they pretend to like my stories." *BAM*

Earl and Loue both jumped as the door to the dining hall was thrown open and smacked into the wall, the former having been in the middle of regaling his recent battle with the minotaur tribe and the latter propping his head cheek-first on his palm, the elbow holding it up.

"What's with the commotion? Don't you know how to use a door?" The younger silver haired vampire asked in a huff, adjusting his collar and blowing a stray lock of hair from his face.

"My sincerest apologies Prince Loue but Princess Weiss has just returned!" The dullahan stood at attention, saluting the male.

"Weiss? Hmm. About time she came home. Still it's not cause for an uproar that could wake the undead-"

"She was injured sir! Her clothes in battered shape and covered in blood. I tried to inquire but she refuted any attempt I made. Rather angrily."

The two vampires exchanged bewildered looks. Could she have been attacked? Hardly any of the other vampires in the region were stupid enough to do so, either in awareness of her status or by how vastly she outmatched the common blutsaugr in power. Human hunters were also unlikely to have been the culprits. They only engaged vampires when caught in the act or ones that went too wild with their feeding sprees. Regardless of the reason they both knew what had to be done.

"I'm going to go see her. Did she say where she was going?" Loue asked.

"Err. Probably her room sir? Others of the royal guard are seeking to alert the rest of the Zahne family as we speak and-"

"I'm gonna fetch Winter and let her know. Meet you there kiddo."

Loue didn't even stop to chastise him on the nickname as he shifted into his bat form in a blast of smoke, making a beeline for his sister-in-law's residence.

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 _"Get outta here!"_

 _"I can't leave! What if more-"_

 _"We'll be fine. Just scram before the cops come. It'd be better that way."_

 _"Qrow.. Oh god I'm so sorry Qrow.. *sob*_

 _"I didn't- I swear I never meant for this. If I had known about them I would have-"_

 _"It ain't your fault. The Crossbreakers are monsters. Surprised they didn't try something sooner.. Listen to me kid, don't stick around and whatever you do.. Don't go pickin' any fights with them either. They might be a ragtag bunch of creeps but they've got some strong blood and a big network. I've hunted some of 'em before too so take it from me."_

 _"I.. Mrs. Branwen-"_

 _"He's right. Go. Go and don't look back. Don't get involved any further in this."_

 ** _..._**

 **...**

 **...**

Weiss jolted awake in a cold sweat. Something that she shouldn't have even felt, yet there she lay still in her tattered clothing and feeling as if she'd had a bucket of ice water thrown on her. Visions of the terrible night before flashed before her eyes as she wiped the beads away. Raven's grief stricken face, Ruby's cold and still body, the burning wreckage and piles of black ashes scattering around the street..

It took her a few moments to clear her thoughts before she sat upright and rubbed her eyes. What had..? Oh right. She'd barged into her room and ordered her guards not to disturb her under any circumstances and to not leave their posts though there was little doubt someone who had seen her less than prim condition had immediately went to fetch her siblings as soon as she set foot on the grounds.

The girl buried her face in her hands and breathed deeply. Her body and mind were exhausted despite the effects of the hawthorn and blessed silver wearing off hours ago, and she felt like she hardly had the energy to even do anything at this point.

Hence why when Loue Zahne knocked the door open without a care and his face etched with worry she didn't even shout or throw anything at him like she normally would have. Instead Weiss just fell back onto her bed, one arm across her forehead.

"Damn incompetent doormen.. Go. Away."

"Weiss, what on earth happened to you? Where did you sustain those injuries? You were gone for longer than you should have been."

"Leave me alone." She bitterly spat, her fangs slightly baring in agitation. However the male wasn't deterred.

"Verdreh has gone to search for your elder sister. Please, tell me how-"

"Are you deaf? I said leave!" This time she did shout as well as bolt upright, leaning over to try and stand up from her bed. Both hands clasped on its edge yet the strength for the final push wasn't there, leaving her to sit at the side while her arms wavered like leaves in the wind. She'd fed from Ruby twice in one night so what could possibly have left her so weak?

"I can't. I wouldn't be able to leave it be. Were you attacked by hunters? Some kind of monstrous animal?" Despite cringing at her anger he refused to move, too concerned for his in-law sister to concede.

"If you won't leave then be silent. My head hurts and I can hardly hold myself up."

Anyone that lay eyes upon her would agree that she was in poor condition. Aside from the cold sweat she was shaking and paler than was normal for a vampire, her breathing slightly ragged. Loue would grimace, mouth opening for another round of questions when someone pushed past him into the room. Winter Zahne. Her visage was one of even more worry and apprehension than the male's and with several long strides the older vampiress was at her sister's side, both hands placed on her shoulders and mismatched eyes boring into hers after checking over the various bloodstains and cuts. Earl Zahne kept his distance, arms crossed as he leaned against the interior of the doorway next to Loue who looked between them as he bit his lip.

"Dear sister, what happened? Were you attacked? You weren't caught by vampire hunters were you?" Even her tone was wavering. Weiss held her breath for a few seconds and let it out in a long sigh, relenting to answer.

"I got into a fight with several other vampires. It's no big deal. Now please, let me rest."

Winter narrowed her gaze a little bit. There were so many things she wanted to ask as well as point out. For starters, why some common newbloods would be enough to give her that sort of trouble. After all, the other families were smart enough not to pick senseless fights with eachother and though she was weak from her lack of blood intake, as far as the rest were aware of anyway, she could still defend herself. But trying to force answers out of the girl wasn't going to do any good for her health so rather reluctantly Winter nodded, releasing Weiss and straightening herself.

"I.. See.. Fine then. Please do come to me or send for me when you're feeling better. Rest up Weiss, I'll have someone bring fresh clothes for you." With that Winter started to walk away. Weiss let out another short thankful sight and fell back on her bed. It was getting harder to not break down right there on the spot as those nightmare visions kept coming back. Her older sister had almost made it to the door, when Earl had to open his mouth..

"Other vampires huh? Must've been pretty tough. Good thing ya didn't get killed 'cause a little birdy told me some of those Crossbreakers were creepin' around Vale the last couple o' nights. There was a big fight that broke out in the middle of the livin' areas I wanna say.. Oh 'bout six hours or so ago."

Winter paused, her gaze snapping on him. "What?! When did you hear of this? Weiss did you-"

"I reckon she was right in the middle of it. I know somebody got killed too. This birdy o' mine don't lie either.. Fess up. What happened?"

"Weiss, is this true? You fought with those vile Crossbreakers?"

She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling their inquisitive stares. She just wanted them to leave but couldn't choke back her anguish much longer. Weiss started crying again and in a flash Winter was at her side once more. She gently leaned her up, holding Weiss close while she sat down and put her arms around her. One at her lower back, the other on the back of her head as she whispered soft assurances. Over the younger vampiress' muffled wailing Winter mouthed something back to the others.

"I dunno. Told me there was one Hell of a battle on downtown. Couple wrecks, lotta of scattered ashes, and some hunters from White Flower were involved. Wasn't no little territory dispute I figured that much. If ya ask me.. Think that lil' silver eyed girl was the main target an' Weiss got caught up in the crossfire. Ya- Hey hold on there feller." Earl stated, catching Loue by the shoulder as he tried to walk away but he struck out and shoved his arm off. "Now where do you think you're goin'?"

"To get vengeance.. Those radicals have been a problem for far too long but they've never been this stupid. I'll hunt every one in the city down and put an end to all their lives." The young male snarled, sporting a look of burning poison that filled his eyes with rage.

"Oh no ya don't. We're gonna be smart about this and-"

"To HELL with that! They have a death wish and I'll be all too happy to grant it, slowly and painfully!"

"You'd just be goin' and gettin' yourself killed. At least wait until we decide on what to do about it. First thing's first, we gotta take care o' Weiss. Then we'll have a talk about the Crossbreakers." Earl grumbled, adjusting his hat. Though a great effort was made to hide it he too was seething with a thirst for payback. Not as much as the younger male but nobody picked on his family and was allowed to get away with it. Cursing under his breath and clenching his fists, fangs bared and grit, Loue backhanded the wall hard enough to crack it and let out a hard exhale.

"Fine. But if everybody's content to let this be-"

"We're not lettin' it slide but rushin' off like a headless chicken ain't the way to go about it."

"..You're right. I shouldn't be so hotheaded but.. Those bastards..!"

The two of them turned back to Weiss, who was still sobbing into Winter's chest and sniffling. It pained both of them to think of what likely happened out there to leave her in such a state. Continuing to caress her younger sister Winter ordered them to leave.

"I want to talk to her alone. I'll be with the two of you shortly. Rest assured there will be bloodshed for this transgression."

That seemed to satisfy Loue and of course Earl would concede to her request, taking him along as they left the room in silence and closed the door. A good while after when she finally calmed down Winter released her and took a seat next to Weiss.

"Sister.. Tell me what happened. I know it hurts but you must tell me everything."

''She's gone.." Weiss squeaked tearfully. "I went to go find her, we got into a fight but before we could work things out, they came. There were so many of them.."

The Crossbreakers. There could be no question of it. The silver eyed girl that worked at that cafe, the incident from ten years ago, and Verdreh had mentioned something about the anti-vampire organization White Flower. Come to think of it a family of the branch had been attacked by Crossbreakers back then. It was starting to click together. Weiss had had the ill-fated misfortune to be drawn into the midst of that decade old grudge. Winter would question her husband later about his sources but for now..

"Crossbreakers. They wanted her didn't they?" Winter received a nod.

"We tried to fight them off but we were overwhelmed. One of the hunters came to help us and the another one showed up after that. We thought we won and those monsters took us by surprise.. I watched her die, Winter."

"Shhh.. That's all I needed to hear. It's going to be alright."

"They'll pay dearly. I'll kill all of them!" Weiss growled, tears still streaming down her face. Winter reached out to firmly grip her collar and made sure that their eyes were locked before she next spoke.

"In time. For now, you must rest. You're exhausted Weiss. Physically and emotionally. I didn't know this Ruby girl but it's clear she meant a great deal to you, to take on this affliction even. I'm truly sorry for your loss but.. Please. Relax. I promise I'll come talk to you again but for now I have something I must attend to."

She cupped Weiss' cheek, her eyes shimmering with empathic sorrow before the woman got up. Crossing her hands behind her back the older vampiress strode for the door as it opened on its own, looking back once before exiting.

Loue and Earl were waiting outside as requested, the latter leaning back with his stetson down and one boot against the wall, arms crossed, while the former was pacing back and forth impatiently. Until the other Zahne princess emerged and closed the door with a click.

"Well? What did she say?"

"You were right dear. Crossbreakers. This was simply a tying of loose ends after a decade of waiting. My poor sister was an innocent victim in their grudge."

"So what're we gonna do about it? That girl ain't one of ours but Weiss clearly had some feelins for her. Plus, they attacked her. That's breakin' the inter-coven agreement." Earl asked, not looking up from his post. All was silent for several moments and then both males felt a fearsome chill up their spines. The air around Winter was cold enough that water would have froze in her presence, her shadow writhing like the tail of an angry feline as those eyes filled with ire turned pitch black.

"Find my father. This will be a declaration of war."

* * *

 _Ooooooooh snap it's gonna be ON like DONKEY KONG._

 _So, apologies for being sooooo freakin' late with this and if it's a teeny bit short. Ain't checked the word count but I can try to make up for it next time. Gonna go ahead and say don't start expecting another series of one after the other chapters either 'cause I'm still in Columbus, Ohio workin' the state fair. Our unit is anyway. Friggin' 13 hour shifts._

 _THIRTEEN. HOUR. SHIFTS. Except for Friday and Saturday, those are only fourteen. Ha. Haha. Ha._

 _I'm also still in the middle of playing Monster Hunter Generations, and trying to get all my stuff transferred over from my old tablet to my new one. I'm probably gonna have to replay Advance Wars Dual Strike agaaaaain.. Not exactly sure how to transfer save data with DraStic, Visual Boy Advance/My Boy works fine and I think most of my Android games have some method of cloud saving/account transfer. Kritika, Potion Maker, Seven Knights, Dungeon Trackers, Drone Shadow Strike, Kill Us Again, Dead Trigger 2.. I think BattleGems and Undead Assault don't though.. What other games.. OH._

 _If you have a PC or a tablet that can run it, and love strategy games, get Frozen Synapse/Frozen Synapse Prime. By far one of the best strategy games for Android. No lame-o energy system, replayability with Skirmish missions and map makers, lengthy campaign.._

 _Anyway. Umm.. What next. Right now I'm heavily leaning between either my Advance Wars x RWBY crossover (takes place after Dual Strike), or that fantasy Renora fic where Ren's an elf and Nora's a half human dwarf. A bit more towards the former at the moment. I would slay a thousand zombies to see another Advance Wars on the 3DS.._

 _But there ya go! Another chapter of Red Snow. I'll probably at least try to work on the next chapter (or a starter for one of those two ideas) this week but more than likely gonna be roleplaying on RoB and doing Monster Hunter Generations. Fun fact, I got like 32 or so RWBY OCs right now. I know, I got a problem. To be fair it's not specifically RWBY (but a large favorite/fraction) since overall I got like over a hundred roleplay characters and a very overactive imagination.. I mean there's at least 30 RWBY fanfic ideas on the backburner by now, including a new thing I had for a Fairy Tail x RWBY crossover._

 _Alright, time to bolt. Gonna do things 'n stuff. See if the other local wifi will stop being as useless as a football bat._

 _P.S. I'm putting the finishing touches on this chapter on 3.5 hours of sleep from the previous night as of writing this A/N so if I screwed up along the way somehow then lemme know. Just don't be a jerkbag about it or I'll beat you with my new Shrapnel Bluetooth speaker._

 _Srsly this thing feels like the Gameboy Color of Bluetooth speakers. I know Skullcandy stuff is awesome but sheesh._

 _Inspectre Offline._


	7. Poltergeist

_Inspectre Online._

 _Alright, straight to the reviews. Also, so proud that this one chapter brought in so much viewership. Broke a HUNDRED FOLLOWERS. First time (hopefully not the last) in my career! Can I get a 'say whaaat?' 'cause I was preeetty surprised. Not that I think I'm not good enough to do so, just, it surprised me. Especially when I've only written a couple things so far. This story is setting follower and review records. Though the latter I'm a bit lenient on since a few were more about the rewrite than the story but hey. All worth it and appreciated. I don't know if I'll be topping Grapefruit and Icecream any time soon though but we'll see.. Oh right. Reviews. Let's-a-go! Also thanks to those who sent stuff via PMs! Now uh.. Wow. Where did I stop with reviews? Since I deleted the old updates and chapter 6.. Crap. I'm just gonna start here. If I didn't answer your review lemme know and sorry in advance!_

 _At GrnDrgnzrd: Green Dragon Zord? Is that a Power Rangers thing or does that stand for Green Dragon Zard as an AQW reference? Either way.. Thanks for sticking around! Also, yeah. This feels better. Hang on for the trip!_

 _At Bill Gopher: None taken, glad to be doing the rewrite. I dunno what I was thinking. There was sooo much potential in that timeskip (well, writing out the details like I am now I mean) I don't know how I missed it. Happens when you rush and I don't usually do that._

 _At Rapter267: It's staying in the harbor until it's ready to hit the open seas, not just the little channel in the bay._

 _At Fate-chan2015: Shouldn't that be 2016 now? Heh. Anyway. The answer is.. Because reasons!_

 _At Ashley: I don't usually do stuff like that (which can jar a reader's immersion if executed poorly) but I couldn't pass that one up._

 _At BlakJakXXI: *in Pyrrha's voice* "Hello again!" *waves*_

 _Really? Months? It's been that long? *shudders* No bueno. Yeah thanks to a bunch of readers pointing out that I missed a good amount of potential writing material, going back to fix that. Weiss is being a hypochondriac, it's just the effects of the hawthorn and sacred silver taking their time to wear off since she had been struck in a weakened state and was still finishing recovery at that point. After all she'd had no rest since being starved for blood and getting some of Ruby's back to fix that. Declaring war? Hmmmm there's some problems with that but that'll be explained. Also on the-_

 _SPOILER ALERT_

 _-wight thing, necromancy is somewhat uncommon but mostly limited to typical shambling/walking dead. Raising a high class undead on the other hand.. That takes preparation, the proper materials, and both the know-how and spiritual/magic power to do so. Plus, mindless undead corpses are comparatively much easier to raise than intact/freshly created homunculi bodies with a soul and a fully functioning mind. At least two things will be written on about obtaining, and the process of resurrection._

 _SPOILER ENDS HERE_

 _Covering those from last chapter AND the chapter before that so that's my excuse for the length of this A/N. Now who's ready for the continuation? I know some of you are. I feel it within the Khala! Also, Death Dealer. Few but great songs in the one album I found on Spotify after a customer at the fair recommended it to me. 'Plan of Attack' which is basically a metal tribute to the most metal superhero out there, Iron Man! Literally. Excepting the Silver Surfer. ..Metal puns were what I was going for there._

 _Heh. "Stark, wait! We need a plan of attack." "I have a plan.. Attack!"_

 _Also you guys, do me a favor. Go check out LegolasDragonRanger's stuff, possibly leave a review if you liked it. She kinda inspired me to get into writing fanfics and is a good friend of mine._

 _Oh yeah. We have another.. Let's see. The thing with the exorcist.. Meeting the lich.. Minotaur King Adam and that other thing.. The wight.. Tying off loose ends with the Crossbreakers.. We got another six chapters or so at the least left of this, unless I merge some into super chapters or put my cutoffs at different points than I have planned. If I dedicate my breaks to writing, I maaaay be able to pull off another chapter before we tear down and leave Sunday/Monday (as of writing this, which begs the question why am I saying anything at all, it's because to let you guys know I've been working on the fic when I can 'cause even though I like writing I sometimes have IRL conflicts or just want to do something else for a bit (and often still want to write at the same time!)). Like today I wanted to work on my GrimmLord, Abriss Konig, buuut I didn't have the time while the muse was there because work and inspiration for this fic when I did._

 _Anyway enough rambling. Let's rock and/or roll._

* * *

Her feet took her through the alley as fast as they could go, not that she had a choice but to run. Every direction _they_ were in, every exit blocked and every door guarded. All the woman could do was either run or give up and wait for _them_ to come. How it was relished, the thrill of the chase. Even if said chase was but a fleeting formality. The beat of her heart and the pumping of blood was what excited them for the kill and through the dark alleyways the vampires pursued. Never too far and never too close. Not until it was inevitable that the woman hit a dead end, nowhere left to go but down a sewer exit which she could not remove the cover of or back the way she came.

Which when it was blocked by no less than five of the walking blutsaugrs was removed as a possibility.

"Aww gee darn it. Well it was fun while it lasted. Guess it's time to take our prize."

"She did pretty good for a bloodbag."

"Ooh I wonder if she'll kick and scream!"

Menacingly they encroached, pushing the woman's back to the wall as she looked left and right in fear. There was no way she could push past them, it was the end. Shaking, trembling, and sweating bullets in the coolness of the Vale night her being was akin to that of a cornered mouse as the undead quintuplet neared.

"Don't worry, we can be nice people.. Tell ya what. You be a good girl and don't resist and we'll think about letting you live."

"A little longer anyways. Or maybe we can grant you a quick and sudden death if you'd like. Not everybody has it in them to become like us.."

The head of the group closed the gap in several swift steps, faster than the mere human female could react as she gripped her collar and pressed her to the brick and mortal wall with a stretched fang bearing grin. All while her prey whimpered and sniffled in her grasp too scared to fight back. Those sharp canines were about to embed into her neck when something else reached the vampire first.

Cold as ice, for a particular reason, a long blue-white object fell from the sky and brutally impaled the vampiress from her skull on down before a falling figure drove it into the ground by landing on the smoothed top feet first. With a yelp the now free woman fell over sideways as her captor burst into black ashes, looking up at her savior with uncertainty. A mantle black as the night, white hair that shone brighter than the moon, one black eye with a red pupil and the other white with blue.. Shadows beckoned to the new arrival's call, tendrils rising up from the corners of the alley like serpents poising to strike as the remaining four vampires hissed and snarled. Foolishly they charged, and foolishly they all died.

Without even being seen the true threat lashed out from the sides, more sinister shadow tendrils grabbing one and having them drawn and quartered with sudden and grotesque sounding rips. Bone and flesh was pulled apart before turning to ashes, another meeting a similar fate as their neck was coiled around and the tendril retracted blindingly fast to sever their head from their body. The third vampire didn't even make it halfway to their attacker before at least a dozen barbed shadow spikes jutted from the concrete and propped them up in the air about five feet, puncturing out the back as the embedded barbs lengthened. Then, they pulled, tearing the hapless one into multiple bloody pieces. All of this happened before any of them realized how severely outmatched they were, the last survivor already airborne with claws descending. Too slow.. Her hand struck out like a bolt of lighting, upper body twisting to avoid the straight thrusts of sharpened claws that would have punched into her flesh as she grabbed the male by the throat and suspended him. Then, binding his arms and legs with the closest shadows she brought him face to face with a venomous glare and an equally toxic substance in her tone.

"Tell me where the rest of your kind lay.."

"I'll tell you nothing, Schnee! We'll have your head! Your fate is sealed for defying the Crossbreakers!"

A pity. It would have been nice if this group had given her better answers than the last. Groaning, Weiss would grit her teeth in contemplation. This was perhaps the third encounter she'd had after recovering and leaving the castle again a week prior. Her father had refused Winter's request to wage war on the radical Crossbreakers, claiming that the Schnee/Zahne family would not break the inter-coven agreement for a mere situation as this. However.. He'd nonchalantly mentioned that neither he nor the other family's heads would condemn her actions of hunting down 'the swine that laid hands on his kin' IF they could do so discreetly.. So that was what she was doing. Going rogue and searching for the Crossbreakers responsible for both Ruby's and her family's deaths.

"And yours is sealed for defying _me_ , as are your comrades'. I'll just have to ask the next ones."

Fingertips glowed a soft blue as frost started to creep across her helpless prey's body, about halfway done when it started to seep. Blood, tissue, and organs turned to ice as bone cracked from the sheer overwhelming cold, hand removing to clench into a fist at her waist and awaiting when the process was complete. As soon as the male had been turned into a living ice sculpture she lashed out, shattering him into countless shards as the shadows retracted into the walls and floor. Shaking them from her hand as it was relaxed Weiss would hop down from her icicle perch by the still helpless human woman, who was cowering in the corner with her knees almost to her chest. Well, at least she had something to restore her energy after another fruitless endeavor. Seeing her emotionless and slow approach the woman instinctively shielded herself with her arms, squeezing her eyes shut and flinching.

"P-Please don't! I have a family!"

The princess rolled her eyes. Everyone did. Big deal. Everyone also died at some point.

"I'm begging you! I have two little girls at home, my husband can't take care of them alone..!"

Weiss stopped, scowling, her eyes narrowed. Normally she wouldn't even have paused but for some inexplicable reason the tiniest pang of sympathy rung out in her cold heart. Just like when she'd decided to spare Ruby's life instead of leaving her to die or slaying her outright. Even now that girl was giving her problems.. Though it certainly wasn't any kind of love that was staying her hand now. With a growl she stepped right up next to her would-be prey and looked down.

"..Can you make me a promise?" She asked quietly though it might as well have been a shout in the dead silence of the night.

"A-Anything! Please!"

"... Go home. If anyone asks, you simply took your time and got sidetracked. You didn't run into anyone and you most definitely did not see my face. None of this ever happened. Understand?" The woman stared, still shaking and jumped when Weiss shouted again for confirmation.

"Yes!"

"Now get out of here before I decide I'm thirsty."

She said not another word and didn't look back as she got up and bolted for the end of the alley, Weiss watching her go with arms crossed and then a shake of the head and sigh. "Damn it Ruby.. ..Maybe I can find something somewhere else. These dumb humans have such tendencies to stick their noses where they don't belong."

With that she let her arms drop to her side, stepping out of the alley as shadows draped over her body. Gone were her dark and intimidating clothes when they were finished with their task, replaced by a white backless dress, ice blue heels, and a white bow holding up an off-center ponytail. Her eyes were both a more human looking blue as well thanks to special contacts. After all she still had an identity to maintain and it would be bad if someone she knew came across her undisguised. Many supernatural beings lived out in the open, which some humans were fine with depending on the type and whether or not they placed nice with them. Others stuck to the darkness, concealing their true selves so they could live dual lives or carelessly be who they were born as. Plus, the Schnee family may have been well-known over in Atlas but Vale was a different story with different politics and relations. It didn't help that while they preached of coexistence they still clung to the traditional vampiric ways when eyes were not upon them.. Hence why Weiss and several others still sought to prey on humans.

Unfortunately their kind seemed to be rather sparse tonight. Perhaps it was the Crossbreakers' recent uprising in Vale that kept the more cautious and paranoid in their homes. She was starting to think there'd be no fresh blood to drink tonight and was somewhat regretting not digging into that woman when she had the chance until her finely tuned senses picked up on the shattering of glass down the street. Which could have been a mere act of God until she also heard the shards crunching underneath someone's feet and a few more sounds of conflict. Somewhere, a store was possibly getting busted into and the vampiress was certain nobody'd miss a few crooks looking for an easy score.

"Hmm.. Only one..? It'll have to do. I hope their blood will satisfy me."

Sporting the look of someone late to an appointment she started pacing down the sidewalk with a steady stride, her heels clicking all the way down to where she heard the shattering of glass. Come to find that it was the front window of what seemed like a pawn shop. Typical. Sparing a quick glance left and right to see if anyone was watching she carefully stepped over the pointy leftover shrapnel still rimming the interior of the frame and into the building. That was when she picked up voices. So the person wasn't alone?

"Keep still..! Stop resisting, child! It'll only hurt worse if you do! I promise the pain will go away if you cooperate!

 _"No! Quit it! Leave me alone!"_

Her ears twitched as did her brow. Though it would have been easy to assume something twisted was going on beyond the counter and in the back room of the unlit shop her enhanced senses inferred otherwise. There was a strange spiritual energy flowing from inside and the wind was a bit strong throughout where there shouldn't be any. Plus the girl that had screamed had a strange reverberation in her voice, the older male seeming to be the source of this energy.

"You do not belong in this world. Pass on and begone from the mortal plane o' spirit!"

 _"It hurts..! It hurts! Aaaagh!"_ Wait.. That voice. Its strange echoing effect aside it almost sounded like- Weiss ran, clearing the counter by sliding over it and shoving the door open. What she saw then chilled her to the very core.

Her still shoulder length hair was billowing amidst the waves of spirit energy cascading up over her head, her floating and ethereal head whose face was contorted with excruciating pain. It was in entirety a vivid red color and somewhat translucent, instantly tipping the vampiress off to her nature as an earthbound soul that for some reason could not move into the next plane. As for what was happening to her, the male standing almost in between them was without question an exorcist or some kind of priest. He stood a bit tall with very dark gray hair that was pulled up into a bun that extended away from the back of his head rather spiky-like, dressed in a black hooded robe with a white collar that had a cross hanging from it. In one hand was a black book also marked with a cross, the other an ornate metal cross with a gold finish and a sharpened bottom like a stake. Moving back into prayer he continued the ritual, attempting to send this unfortunate soul to Heaven.

At least that was the plan until Weiss shouted. Him looking over his shoulder revealed sunken and weary tired eyes with rings around them signifying a severe lack of sleep and the features of a man well in his 50s as he spoke.

"Begone child, this is no place for your kind."

"STOP."

"It is not your business to interfere. I cannot allow it."

Over Ruby's phantasmic screams of agony she let out an inarticulate shriek of rage before running forwards and grabbing the man by his shoulder. He couldn't even process what was happening as she threw him backwards, sending him crashing right through the main display counter and rolling to a stop in the middle of the store. At that moment the energies threatening to erase her quelled and disappeared, Ruby's being floating low to the ground as she panted for breath. Weiss managed to slide forward on her knees and 'catch' her in the palms of her hands. Both her heart and mind were racing, the former in the lead as she fumbled about for something to say other than her name and incoherent stutters.

 _"Ngh.. Wei.. Weiss..? Is that you..? It's so bright.."_

"I'm right here Ruby! Don't go! Can you hear me?"

 _"My head hurts a lot.. I can hear you though.."_

She let out a few uneasy laughs, uncertain if she was really seeing and hearing what was in front of her. The girl had died right before her eyes just over a week ago, so why was her soul still stuck in the human world? Weiss had so many questions and was so lost in thought she didn't hear the aged male walking up behind her. When his presence finally went noticed by the vampire princess she threw one arm out towards him in warning, ice blades forming on her fingers. Surprisingly he backed away and held up his now empty hands in concession.

"Stay your wrath, I relent. I've no desire to lose my life."

"What the Hell were you doing to her?!" Weiss snarled, glowering at him. He simply raised a forefinger to his collar in response before answering.

"Guiding her to the afterlife where she belongs. Her soul is bound to our world by something, regret, possibly guilt, I've no knowledge of the details but it is not safe for lost souls to be wandering this plane."

His statement relaxed her guard and she lowered her hand. Slightly. Her eyes were still trained on him and she didn't let the ice fade as he continued.

"Even a few days can be damning to a lost soul, should their spirit be drained they will forever be cast into limbo and unable to move to the afterlife. I was merely attempting to aid in her passing but she is tethered by great reluctance for whatever reasons. Perhaps you who seem to know her so well can help."

"I'm not letting her go."

"It is for the best. Regardless she is in your hands now. Figuratively I mean. I cannot force her to go, her spirit is too strong. I've been attempting to do so for the past two days and now you've undone everything I've accumulated to this point. I will however pray that one way or another she finds peace instead of a terrible fate."

Weiss still maintained her glare, albeit it gradually softening to a mere frown. Though it had angered her it did sound like he had naught but the best intentions for Ruby's wellbeing. She couldn't despise him for that. She also couldn't simply attack him for that fix she'd been seeking, a holy man's blood might as well be holy water to a vampire.

"Very well then. I suggest you go get some rest, and be grateful I don't cut you down on the spot. You did not see me here, understand?"

"I know not of what you speak." The robed man said before turning to leave. Which left the problem of what to do with Ruby. Though Weiss was overjoyed at being able to see and speak to her again it wouldn't exactly be feasible or safe for her to remain out in the open like she was.. Letting her relax for a few more moments Weiss then stood up, still holding her hovering ethereal head in the space above her palms.

 _"Weiss.. Sorry.. I didn't-"_

"Hush. Don't worry about that now. What I'm concerned about is getting you out of here before something bad happens. I don't think having you just float around would be the smartest plan."

Finally opening her eyes Ruby looked up at Weiss, a soft smile gracing her lips that quickly spread to the other's.

 _"Maybe.. I could possess you or something..?"_ Weiss giggled.

"I don't think so, but that did give me an idea. Hold on."

Carefully letting Ruby's floating head go to hover in the air she held one palm out, tracing an elliptical shape over it with a fingernail. Ice followed in its wake and once the ring was complete it filled, becoming an oval shaped and flat ice crystal about the size of a small pocket mirror.

"I've read a few of the necromancers' books back home when I was bored. Spirits have a much easier time possessing objects, especially poltergeists."

 _"Sounds like.. It'd work. Wait.. I'm not a poultry ghost.."_

"Polter- You dolt. Anyway this crystal should be suitable."

Ruby glanced down at it with pursed lips and a raised eyebrow, ghostly wisps of ectoplasm drifting upward from her as she slowly bobbed in place. _"A crystal..? Looks more like a mirror... Is it so.. You can always see my face?"_

Weiss stuttered once and blushed, sputtering for her to 'just get in the blasted thing' so they could leave. With a nod and a quick sharp but unnecessary preparation breath she closed her eyes and shot forward. With a flash of red that for the briefest second blinded the princess Ruby disappeared. This caused an almost as brief panic in Weiss when she looked over it and saw no trace of her.

"Hey, Ruby. Ruby! Hello..? ..If you're in there safe and sound then answer m-" _"Boo!"_ "KYAA."

Weiss stumbled over backwards as something flashed into view, her bottom hitting the floor as she dropped the mirror with a clank. Echoing girlish laughter came from within as a blurry afterimage transitioned to the unbelievable sight of a fully formed Ruby Rose, still as she had been when she perished. Minus the flesh piercing bolts and numerous wounds.

"That was SO not funny!"

 _"You should have seen your face! It was priceless!"_

"Idiot! Do you have any idea how scared I was something went wrong? That I lost you again?"

Her angry lecturing had Ruby sheepishly rubbing one arm, looking down and prodding at whatever she was standing on with a foot in little circles.

 _"S-Sorry Weiss.."_

"... *sigh* I can't stay mad at you.. Just don't do that anymore. Now let's get out of here."

 _"Where are we going? Wait! What about my mom? And my sis? Is dad alright?"_ Ruby asked, coming closer to view to the point where only the upper half of her body was visible, hands on.. Something. It probably looked like she was viewing Weiss' world through a window from her perspective.

"I.. Don't know. I haven't seen nor talked to them. I know what Raven said but I don't think I'd be comfortable around them. I need some time to think on what I'm going to do but right now I believe it'd be best if you come home with me. From that priest's words you're stuck here because you can't let go of something and I don't want to see that happen to you again, nor do I wish for you to be snatched up by someone else or gods forbid sent to Limbo."

 _"..."_ The girl fell silent for several seconds as Weiss picked up the mirror and brushed it off, holding it gently in one hand while starting for the entrance to the shop. _"I don't know either Weiss. I thought I wanted to finally see my parents again but.. I guess I wanted to stay with you just as much. I mean I know I want to be with you but-"_

"Hard choice? It's okay, I understand. Personally the way I see it, I'll meet my own family again some day. Maybe it'll be when I'm dead for good, or maybe in another life. If you decide that's what you want then.. I'll accept it. Just.. That wasn't the way I wanted to say goodbye." Weiss explained. "Come on. Let's get out of here. Before anyone shows up and starts asking questions."

 _"I've never been a vampire's home before."_ Ruby said, unable to hide the curiosity in her tone. Which was more stable for lack of a better word now that she was in the ice mirror. Perhaps it helped keep her soul from fading and restored her spiritual vitality to an extent. The priest had also mentioned that if said soul were to lose all of its energy it would become impossible to move on into the afterlife. Clutching the object a little more carefully and a bit tighter the vampiress grinned, beginning to speak of all the 'charming' features of the Zahne family castle as well as of its colorful inhabitants. Stepping cautiously over the glass shards once more she made another acute sweep of the area before moving out onto the sidewalk, going on about her walk as if nothing had ever happened. Wouldn't it be terrible if she were late for that nonexistent appointment.

...

...

...

...

From a slid aside panel in the ceiling dropped a figure cloaked in black, its hood pulled over its head as it brandished a golden cross pulsing with a black glow. Its concealed gaze was directed in the way Weiss had left before sweeping over the trashed shop's interior. Slow and deliberate steps took it to various places, sometimes kneeling to examine something and others picking up various miscellaneous objects to inspect them.

 **"Endearing, truly. She failed to take note of such glaring details. Love does indeed make one blind."**

They whirled, facing one side of the room as their shadow rippled like water. Rising from within a black sphere ringed with white emerged, a dark substance dripping from it like an eclipsing moon drenched in liquid darkness. Slowly this sphere molded into a humanoid shape, muscular with no gender specific features except for its flat chest. Two arms were crossed over it, another lower set of arms hanging at its sides as the creature let out a hollow insidious chuckle. It had no mouth, no ears, not even hair. Only a single eye in the shape of a downward facing crescent underneath a curving long horn. The white pentagram forming its pupil rapidly darted left and right to take in its surroundings before focusing on the man in front of it.

"..Lord Vortogk."

 **"A feeble old human taking such a blow with naught to show for injury or pain, able to identify a disguised undead with but a single glance without any special powers or items."**

"Such is only by the grace of my master." This elicited another blood chilling chuckle as all four of the shadow creature's arms extended out with palms up and open.

 **"Such goes unnoticed for concern of a mere mortal girl's soul."**

"She possesses the silver eyes." The robed priest responded swiftly. "Or she had, until her demise."

 **"Without a body as a conduit, the Archangel's Bane poses no threat to me. Besides, it has been dormant for generations upon generations, no bearer able to awaken it."** Came an equally swift response.

"It still poses a potential threat. That is why we hunt the silver eyed ones. To unleash the Archangel's Bane.. The wrath of St. Michael. No force of darkness in this world could stand before it. Its existence must be purged. Ah.. M-My lord. I didn't mean-" He'd heard a low growl come from the creature and shuddered, it clearly being displeased by his words.

 **"I would have you flayed for such blasphemous words but they are true ones. I want the girl's very soul erased. Do not fail me again."**

"I apologize for my incompetence. Her spirit is unyielding, despite my best efforts. And the white haired one-"

 **"A child born instead of sired by the Ice Tyrant.. Hmph.. That alone makes her one to tread cautiously around. Your slight will be forgiven this once. My minions will see to it that the girl's soul is reclaimed, you will handle the rest. Prepare. My shadow will be yours until this is done."**

"What of the other Crossbreakers-"

 **"They no longer see us as kin but as fanatics, traditionalists clinging to the 'outdated' old ways. The true ways. Humans are food, not friends. Yet they will not interfere with us so long as we are careful. We must be discreet. Even now we can still act under the veil of the non-aggression agreement between the covens. If we were to be outed.."**

"Nothing could stay the Ice Tyrant's wrath."

 **"The ones who aren't open to the idea of coexistence are afraid to push the humans too hard, lest they snap back with the fury of a bloody storm. They'll expose us. The ones who have become their allies will rally against us. I am certain he already knows or presumes of our involvement but we are still safe. Despite our ideals the others would not tolerate a supposedly unprovoked transgression from the humans or from another coven. Until now we've had no problems hunting the silver eyed ones behind the scenes but if we press too forcefully our cover will be undone. You remember the White Flower incident."**

"We failed to kill them all and the most crucial target survived. Worst of all our red hands were shown by their saviors."

 **"We cannot afford that kind of mistake again. The occasional and necessary feedings are of no concern to the others, however a few sets of red hands caught at such a scene is a call for justice from the humans and more than that could be a call for war next time. A war we would not win. Begone, and await my next command. Inform the others of my order. The Schnee is a dangerous risk and is to be avoided if possible, but the other girl's soul is a priority. Kill her protector if they must, that is if they are able, but do so with no witnesses. Once the soul is reclaimed, have them take it, bring it to you, and assist with whatever it takes to remove her permanently."**

"Very well. All is for my lord." The robed one said with a bow as the shadow demon crossed its two sets of arms, submerging back into his shadow and disappearing. When it was completely gone from sight he turned on his heel and phased through the door after splitting into black wisps, reforming on the other side. Like Weiss, he too would immediately start walking and remove his hood so as to appear on a casual nighttime walk, his cross placed into his robe.

* * *

 _Awwwww snap. Foreshadowing like a moth-HMMWHAT'CHASAY. Things are starting to get reeeeaaal interesting huh? So glad I decided to continue with this instead of dropping it. So much I could do with it.. So I'm gonna! This story certainly isn't ending soon, I think I said about 6 more chapters to it? Sounds about right but possibly more._

 _Uncommon/rare but otherwise insignificant genetic trait, HA. Sorta kinda goes along with my little idea (I don't support/believe it hard enough to think of it as headcanon or a serious theory, but maybe Ruby's silver eyes in the show have angelic origins? White wing-y things coming from her eyes, the legend about even the Grimm fearing silver eyed warriors and being incredible fighters? Deciding to mix that in here.) about Ruby's eyes so yah._

 _Hope I answered all the reviews.. Again if not, lemme know. I'll get around to it. Also. Broke 7k views, woo! It WAS around 8k or so until I deleted the old updates and old chapter 6 and bumped back down to 6k so.. Progress! Got a question, super cereal you guys. Do people on Author/Story Alert or those Following a story get notices when you update/replace a chapter instead of adding a new one? I wasn't sure if they did or not so I decided to assume they didn't for now. If that's the case lemme know._

 _Also, gettin' set up deep here. Who the frick is this Vortogk guy? And why does he have such a freaky name? Well you'll have to wait for the first answer and the second is.. I just played around with random syllables until I found something that sounded good. Beats going on Google Translate and just trying to find cool sounding foreign words that fit what I'm naming. Sometimes. Everybody does it or has done it at some point, don't even try to lie._

 _By the way, maaaybe it'll be obvious or maybe it won't but I did the majority of this in one day. Finished up with this A/N at.. Lessee here. 4:12 in the morning. I'll make sure to give it a double check after my 4 hours of sleep before I go to work. Hoping to have time to give it a decent proofread and whatnot. Would run it through my Senior Proofreader but either something's up with Skype or he hasn't popped on in awhile. Eh, I'll wing it. Not like I can't or haven't been doing it myself anyway but as I said before (as did several other readers before me which lead to this rewrite in the first place and I am ever so thankful y'all did that, srsly) sometimes it takes a second set of eyes. Which I'm hoping are out there when I post this. Don't be afraid to tell me I messed up and what it was/how to fix it. Just don't be a knobhead about it._

 _So yeah. Hoping to have this out in the morning before work. If not it'll be about 3 hours after when I get my first break and can go take care of that. BTW, fun fact, originally I was thinking that instead of Ruby being a wayward soul left on earth Weiss would contact her in a seance and ask if she wanted to return as an undead from the beyond. With help from a character being revealed later, one of the extremely rare few in the world capable of doing so because of their rare level of knowledge and experience. Which I realized a little later how contrived and terrible that sounded. If such a thing was possible, even with great difficulty and performed on very rare occasions, THEN it'd feel like cheapening Ruby's death. This on the other hand sounds more feasible, plausible, and doesn't feel as 'asspull-y'. ..Oh right not everybody knows what I'm doing 'cause not everybody was here before the old chapter 6 got blammed. Whoopsie! If you're late to the party just ignore pretty much everything in this paragraph except for the first sentence. Lelouch commands you._

 _Oh right real quick, totally dibbing the phrase 'Atlesian Knightmare' because reasons. AK-200s won't have nothin' on what I'm cooking up with that._

 _Finally, I totally did not borrow the sorta flaming-ish wispy ghosty floating head for a soul thing from Muramasa: The Demon Blade when I was writing this chapter. I mean who would do that? Not like it's a pretty frickin' awesome game with amazeballs graphics and animation, epic combat, great story, and an OST to die for that you, the reader, should totally buy and play if you have a Wii (for the original) or a PSVita (for the remake) and deserves some kind of reference somewhere._

 _..Probably also totally not a thing that's been done somewhere else at some point prior and I either can't remember or haven't heard of it._

 _..Christ these A/Ns seriously get out of control._

 _Inspectre Offline._


	8. Review Errors?

Okay gonna pop in here real quick. This ain't an update sorry! Apparently because I deleted chapters 6, 7, and 8, which were the old epilogue and two notices respectively, when I started posting new chapters again it still counts as already being reviewed by whoever left one before they were deleted. Which is wierd because they're not updates/replacements, they're technically new chapters. I guess that's why some people who have reviewed the deleted chapters can't post anything on my new ones. Booooo.

Anyhoot. I figure the only workaround is to try leaving a review as a Guest while not logged in? If that doesn't work, just PM me your review and I can either post it in the A/N and also answer it there, or just answer your review back in PMs. Thanks!


	9. Humer(us) Me

_Inspectre Online._

 _Oh yeah! That last chapter came out faster than I expected. I didn't think I'd get it out before Sunday. I'm going to try to get one more before the weekend is over with because we start taking everything down Sunday night and then we're headed for Tennessee! Wooo! Pulaski, Memphis, Lebanon.. Not certain if that's the order we play though._

 _No promises though. In fact I wouldn't say expect it by then but I may surprise myself? I gotta have sleep tonight though and tomorrow's supposed to be a short day. Combined with me not being certain if I'll have wifi next spot.. Bah._

 _Edit: Wow I surprised myself. Without sacrificing sleep even! I just hauled ass (and fingers) to get this done. I mean, if I have drive, motivation, and some drinks on hand I can probably throw out a chapter of something in a couple hours. Most of my time spent not writing (like at work) consists of daydreaming and mentally working things out anyway. I have an overactive imagination so I'm always thinking of how something might be played/written out, thinking of other fanfics, where I wanna go with stuff, heck most of the planning is done ahead of time. It's just getting around to actually writing it/having time to write it that's the biggest obstacle._

 _Review answering time!_

 _At Fate-chan2015: Thanks, and of course I did! She was always slated to come back. I was only teasing about the name thing by the way. Also. *confetti poppers!* My 50th review on this work! Milestones!_

 _At djjohns92: I don't remember Weiss ever saying she was sired, but I could be wrong. I might have missed that when I went back and re-read this story before I started writing new chapters. Which chapter specifically. To answer your question, she was born. I might have made a mistake or worded something wrong there._

 _Not much else to say at the time of writing this but that might change. For now though, straight on to the story! Strike while the iron (muse) is hot!_

* * *

Not a thing had changed, nothing was different. The dark mountains were still as imposing as ever and the clouds a blackish purple that forbade the sun to shine on the barren lands underneath them, dust sweeping along with occasional gusts of wind as the two females walked towards the heavens piercing castle at its heart. Well, one was walking and carrying the other inside a frozen mirror that hadn't lost a single sliver since its creation. The creator had made with the utmost certainty that it was not going to melt or be easily damaged. The strange trees and glowing crystals had the black haired girl looking about curiously, her beholder slowly moving the mirror around so she could take it all in.

 _"Ooh.. Pretty."_

"To look at but not to touch. Not unless you want your soul to be sucked into it."

 _"Eurgh. Pass. ..You know, I knew it'd have to be dark but this place feels kinda empty. What gives?"_

"Good question." Weiss said with a small smile. "Although nobody really knows the answer, except maybe my father or the other elders. He wouldn't tell me but I've heard that there used to be a city around the castle ages ago. Though if there was it was very long before my time."

 _"Huh? What casoh my GOSH that thing is huge!"_ Ruby exclaimed as the Zahne family castle was put into her field of vision. Or rather, vice versa. _"You could stack mansions on mansions inside it.."_

"Welcome to a vampire's home. A royal vampire's anyway. Unlike some common newblood we have standards. You'll not catch me sleeping on a box in some empty warehouse or in someone's back yard treehouse."

 _"Whooooa.. No kidding about the princess part huh?"_

Weiss and Ruby continued to make idle chatter, the former speaking of all the things inside that would probably blow her human mind. If the eccentric individuals inside didn't drive it crazy first. Eventually they came upon the drawbridge that lead to the castle courtyard. When she approached it was to the sight of only one dullahan knight this time. The one she didn't mind as much as the other.

"Greetings Princess Zahne! How fare you this eternal night?"

"The same as ever. ..Where is your companion?"

"He fell into the moat again. Fool. Oh, I'm to inform you that your sister and your father have left for Atlas for a time and won't be back until presumably tomorrow." He said with a salute, leaning over to activate the portcullis lift. Weiss nodded and thanked him, hiding the mirror behind her back with the face towards it as she slipped into the interior. A slam signified its dropping back to the bridge and with a sigh she pushed open the door.

"Try not to make yourself noticeable.."

 _"What? I can behave myself and oh wow that's a lot of knights."_ Ruby whispered loudly at seeing all of the other undead soldiers. Surprisingly none of the robed figures or their skeletal followers were present today. The only sounds were of clashing steel and iron, no gasps of shock or panicked whispers like from before when Weiss dragged herself in. A few of them also stopped to bow or salute the vampiress as she walked through the courtyard and into the castle itself. Which when she gave her companion a look at the architecture inside she could only marvel at its still relatively solid condition despite its apparent age, as well as the antique decor. _"Holy.. How old is this place?"_

"At least a few thousand years that I know of."

 _"Crazy. ..So- Wait. How old are you?"_

Her brow twitched, deciding to pretend she didn't hear that question and simply kept on with her little tour bringing attention to things like paintings of old members of the family or tapestries and furniture from long ago eras. They began ascending one of the four spires at some point, that one in particular because it was home to the living and relaxation quarters of some of the Schnee and Zahne family royals. Weiss intended to take Ruby there while hopefully avoiding inquisitive eyes and questions from the others. They could meet and greet later but not right now.

Luckily they managed to reach the princess' own room without interference, her guards.. Strangely absent. Which was cause for only minor alarm since there could be no way an intruder made it through, from the inside or out. Perhaps they were changing shifts or performing an errand. That too was a bit of a blessing she supposed, unlocking and slipping inside her room before closing the door shut and re-locking it.

 _"This is your room?!"_ And she flinched at the sudden outburst.

"Shush! Keep your voice down! Just because nobody can see or smell you right now doesn't mean they can't _hear_ you! This place is full of vampires if you didn't already know that!" Weiss whispered hoarsely, ears and nose twitching a bit to check if any happened to be in the tower. ..It seemed mostly clear so with that she let out a long sigh and walked over to her bed.

 _"The drapes! The pillows! The carpet! The dressers! The.. Everything! I could probably stretch out all the way and not touch either side of that bed!"_

"Perks of being royal blood." She stated with a smirk, arms crossed and her chest puffed out a bit as she stood Ruby's ice mirror up on the nightstand and sat on the edge of said bed. "I take it you've never seen something like this before?"

" _Well duh. We're not rich. I mean we're not poor either, I guess kinda in the middle but this.. Jeez."_ The girl's silver eyes slowly took in everything she could see, fascinated by it all. Weiss really was in a class beyond her own. She felt a little daunted by the display to be honest.

"I must admit I am rather proud of my lineage, although I prefer my true home back in Atlas. Now _that_ is something you'd definitely drop your jaw to if you saw it. This by comparison.. Well, it suits me at the least."

 _"I bet it does."_ Ruby laughed. _"I mean you've got everything. That closet is probaby loaded with clothes-"_

"Top to bottom and side to side."

 _"-and that bathroom-"_

"Very open."

 _"-and you even have your own skeleton butler?"_

"We have maids but, wait where-"

"Hi!"

"KYAA."

Weiss jumped up from the bedside, clutching her chest with one hand and keeping herself balanced against the nightstand with the other as something spoke right next to her head. Just as Ruby had said, a literal skeleton was sitting on the bed next to her. Or had been before she almost flew out of her skin getting away from it. Its bones were clearly old and worn, cracked in some places and chipped in others. It had no hair or nails and creaked with every movement as it waved at the panting princess. She shot it back a look that could bore into steel before growling.

"I utterly _despise_ when people sneak up on me! Who do you belong to? How did you even get in here? And why should I not just dismantle you and toss you out the window into the moat?"

"I'm a free agent, the door was already open, and because I wanna make you an offer you just can't refuse!"

Weiss and Ruby both shared a skeptical and amused look respectively. So here came the eccentric ones..

"Erm. Who are you?" The vampiress asked. With a few clanks that looked to be laughter it/he from the tone of its voice would stand up, crossing its arms over its chest.

"Of course you wouldn't know of me. I've been buried away underneath the castle for so long my name has been erased from history. I am.. Tarx'agilithinx Malforbius the Malignant Doom!" The skeleton exclaimed, throwing its hands into the air as a single bolt of lightning cracked outside rather loudly for dramatic effect.

Or it was just conveniently beginning to rain as the sudden and gradually increasing pitter patter of water droplets on the stone walls would indicate. Over Ruby's snickering and snorting or 'snerking' Weiss rolled her eyes.

"I.. Very highly doubt that. Seriously."

"Benny Lava?"

"That's so old."

"Meowburt?"

"Wha?"

"Does it really matter? What's important is.. This little one here. Is there some particular reason you're holding onto this soul?" The skeletal one asked, peeking past her shoulder while leaning aside at the ice mirror. Specifically the one within it who looked confused at first. This elicited a bit of a cross look from Weiss.

"If you've got business then spit it out."

"Do you think death is really the end?" He asked, suddenly taking a more serious tone as he returned to a normal stance.

"What are you talking about? ..Who are you really and what are you trying to pull?"

"Let's talk somewhere more private shall we?"

His hands came together with a clack, Weiss suddenly feeling weightlessness as her surroundings started to melt away like washing chalk on pavement. Nothing but black was left behind as she started to fall along with the strange skeleton, Ruby's mirror slipping and following them as well before it was plucked from the air. Suddenly gray began to seep through the black, along with a myriad of other dull and dark colors as new blurry surroundings began to phase into clearer existence. What lay before them all in this new environment had her stunned.

The sky was cloudy, a green moon casting a pale glow over the earth for as far as the eye could see. Wrought iron onyx gates and fences mazed through the area and hundreds if not thousands of tombstones and effigies in dozens of different varieties dotted the deathly landscape. A few mausoleums here and there, perhaps a gargoyle mounted upon a crypt.. The dead shambled freely along ranging from fleshy zombies to gibbering skulls not unlike the one who had taken them there, a few meandering around a nearby deadened tree as blackbirds cawed raucously. Robed figures slipped among the crowd without being deterred, the necromancers of the Zahne castle. Even someone like Weiss felt an unnatural chill in the air just from her few seconds of exposure as she looked around.

"What is this place..?"

"Welcome to Reaper's Escape. Home to the necromancers in your royal court. I'm not surprised you've never seen it before. It's only accessible to them and their ilk, excepting special permissions of course. Why do you think they can never be found when they're not in the castle?"

She was speechless, as was Ruby, who couldn't formulate words for a different reason. Primarily being terrified of all the undead around. Perhaps it had been best she not know the nature of those 'soldiers' from the castle exterior..

"I've never heard of such a location even around the castle. It can't be-"

"Consider it a sort of.. Extradimensional space if you will. Let's get out of the cold shall we? I've something to show you. Remember that offer I mentioned? I think you'll like this."

Everywhere she looked there was nothing but rolling fog, graves, and walking dead. She assumed that she might as well humor this being for now and see what he wanted, and to be honest she was getting increasingly curious about it. Especially since it seemed to concern Ruby. As he turned towards a nearby mausoleum's entrance the princess followed while holding the ice mirror close. The entrance groaned as the stone door was slid open, thudding against the wall as the group descended.

Her eyes had trouble adjusting to how dark it was and that was something to say when those eyes belonged to a creature that hunted in the night for an unliving. This was no ordinary darkness, both she and Ruby could feel that. Weiss was starting to lose sight of their guide when suddenly rows of candles lit and illuminated their path, sheathing them in violet blue. At the end of the maybe fifty step staircase was a wooden door that creaked open of its own accord when they drew near.

 _"C-Creepy.."_

"Too late for nerves Ruby.. Hey, what is this place? ..Hellooo?"

"Kids are so impatient these days.. Just wait and see."

"Do you have any idea whom you're speaking to like that?"

"I do but let's face it, your sister is waaaay mondo scarier."

Weiss shook her head, exasperated. ..Not that she could deny that statement but she was growing a bit annoyed with this wild goose chase. Between that and the skeleton's antagonizing way of speaking. Whatever he had planned had better be worth it or she was going to crunch him up for alchemy ingredients. Walking into the next room revealed another series of self lighting candles, five tall red ones in the center and small wall mounted blue ones all along the walls. There was a slab altar in the midst of the five candles, lines drawn between each to form a star on the ground in black paint. What looked like dried (and a bit of fresh) blood covered the top of it, the rest on the floor around it in several different spatters and stains. It was obviously some sort of ritualistic piece but for what hideous purpose..?

"I know, it's not much. Kinda barebones but make yourself at home!"

"This.." Weiss stepped closer to the altar, smelling all sorts of deathly stenches in the room. She could practically feel Ruby wigging out inside her little container.

"How much do ya know about Necromancy? I know it's not a Schnee family specialty but I can tell you like to read. Heck even the Zahnes don't have much to do with it. We kinda just mooch about, not paying rent and all that good stuff. Except in the laughable scenario the castle comes under attack, that hasn't happened in centuries 'cause we kinda put all the offenders up on pikes and made a fence out of 'em."

"I know little but I grasp the basic concept and practices. Using dark magics to animate a corpse and control it or leave it to its own rather primal and simplistic devices. It's not easy and requires a meticulous setup but in doing so one can slowly but surely build an entire army of walking and unquestioning dead."

"A slow and sorely lacking in the intellect department army it may be.. But it is feasible. Coming back to what I asked you earlier.." The skeleton chuckled, one hand holding an elbow and the other propping his head in contemplation. "Do you think death is really the end?" Though he had no eyes to speak of she could swear they were directed towards Ruby when he slightly turned his head.

"I don't believe you're asking me what I think you're asking me."

"Bingoooo!" He snapped his bony fingers.

"I am NOT even remotely considering bringing her back as a shambling and dimwitted meatsack!" Weiss yelled, spinning on her heel to face him with disdain. He quickly waved his hands side to side and then stepped forward, around, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh nonono, that's not the plan.. Far from it. It's not common knowledge even amongst the necromancers but.. It is possible to reclaim what Death has reaped, without sacrificing what makes us so.. Alive. Our reasoning, our feelings, our intellect.. She could be brought back just like new, a fresh body, a fresh start.."

"You mean.. Like a homunculus?" The vampiress asked incredulously.

"Jackpot Schnee."

"I.. Wait. Hold on. If such a thing was possible, then surely-"

"It's an extremely difficult and tedious process." The skeletal one interrupted in a matter-of-factly tone, presuming to know what she was already thinking. "The rare materials required, the amount of magic power one would need for the ritual, the utmost precision and care required to create a proper vessel for a departed soul to inhabit that would be both compatible and durable enough. Not to mention the inhabitant has to be able to subjugate and control their new living body, and it'd require some form of DNA from the original person to help with the matchup. This scales depending on exactly what manner of being that you or they wish to be summoned into. Naturally a rat would be easier to create and command than say a larger animal, or a zombie easier to work with than something like a draugr or wight. Reincarnation outside of the beyond's divine management is a tricky and dangerous thing to try but humans have been attempting to play God for the longest time so hey why can't we have a jolly go at it eh wot?"

"..."

The skeleton watched her as she became lost in thought. Bringing Ruby back.. Would she be okay with that? Weiss wasn't even certain if she could trust this person but if it were truly possible.. She held the mirror up and searched for Ruby's face, it popping into view a second after.

"It's alright. Decide for yourself. No pressure. If you do choose to go through with it there's a good chance it'll succeed. After all I've only been doing this for countless years. Necromancy I mean. Something on this level I've only done a few times before though but I'm confident I can pull it off. However.."

He paused, rubbing his chin and looking rather apprehensive. As much as a bare skull could.

"..I won't lie. There is a chance things could go wrong. The body might reject her, or she might suffer some permanent damage if she fails to take it over and it gets.. Violent. Plus, some of these ingredients I need for the composition of the new body will be dangerous or hard to find and I have no idea where you're going to get something with her DNA. It can't be simple like say a hair or dry skin. I'd need blood. Saliva. Something with content. I can however aid you in those other regards. I know WHERE to find everything else, I just can't simply go and get it myself." A dusty old encyclopedia marked with a bone appeared out of thin air into his clutches, opening and flipping to random pages as the skeleton spoke. "And I can provide you with limited assistance. Think it over carefully.." The book shut with a clap. "And do keep in mind it will have to be an undead body. I could provide you with a pure human vessel which would be a bit easier, but then she'd only have another.. I'd say 60 to 90 years left before age takes its course and she dies. A homunculus body created in this fashion wouldn't be able to take on vampirism in case you change your mind about being human and constantly replacing your vessel without a proper reincarnation through Heaven would be the equivalent of rampant bodyjacking or floating about in the open without possessing something. It'd put a great strain on your spirit and erode it away. So.. Talk it over. I'll wait. But not for long."

The dangers were evident, as were the positives. This could be their only chance to truly reunite in this world, IF it was possible. But would she want to take the risks and be willing to become an undead like her? As she looked into Ruby's eyes her apprehension was noticable.

"It's.. Your choice Ruby. I won't force anything on you."

 _"..."_

The silence was deafening. Weiss was prepared for her to reject the idea out of fear or disgust, or perhaps she'd ultimately decided that passing on was what she truly wanted so it came as a bit of a surprise when the girl gave her a determined nod.

 _"I'll do it."_

"Huh?"

 _"Let's go through with it."_

"Are you.. Sure?" Weiss asked. Ruby bit her lower lip gently.

 _"I am. You're right Weiss. It's not like I'll never see them again. Besides, I know that not everyone who turns becomes an evil monster. Some of them are still good on the inside. In fact.. I'm kinda looking at one right now."_

The princess turned a touch of pink and smiled, suddenly grimacing and averting her gaze. As if she could read her mind Ruby leaned closer to the mirror's edge with a frown.

 _"Hey, I'm past that Weiss. I can't ever forget it but a true monster would have killed me that night. Or worse. You showed me you really cared when you put yourself in danger to protect me. When you cried over me."_

"I.. Yes.. I love you Ruby. Nothing will ever change that. If that's what you're certain you want and you think it's worth a shot then I'll do everything in my power to see it through." Again she nodded. "Alright then, we have a deal umm.." Weiss turned to the skeletal figure, about ready to extend her hand when she realized she _still_ didn't have a title to address him by.

"You won't regret it Schnee! And you can call me Skeletor."

She swiped her hand up as he went to shake it, scowling. Gods she disliked people like him. Staring blankly at the woman he then sighed, giving his hand another short thrust. "..Graham."

"..Very well. So. What must I do? You mentioned gathering ingredients.."

"Yes I did. In fact that's all you need to do. I will handle everything else, from the construction of her new vessel to the process of interring her soul inside it. The final process won't take place here but for the majority you will return to this world after you've claimed most of the necessary items." The book disappeared and in its place a scroll that was unsealed and allowed to spill over as he ran his fingers along the list, naming off multitudes of items. As each one was announced, much to her annoyance things like small pouches, empty vials, cases, and a satchel would fall on her from above.

"Let's see.. Hydra scales, fade mushrooms, wyvern fangs, the fur of a Snarbolax, succubus milk, gwyllgi bones, a mermaid's sweat, shadow ferns, tendons of a gargoyle, minotaur blood, don't forget something with the girl's DNA, chitin from the tail of a manticore-"

"ALRIGHT." Weiss shouted, everything she was buried under comically flying away as she threw her arms up. "One thing at a time! Or just give me the list and I'll handle it!"

"Do you know where-"

"The book too!"

He blinked as she snatched both the parchment and the tome after resummoning it, a little humored at her behavior.

"..I actually know where to get a few of these things already, and the rest shouldn't be too hard."

"Do not go after the minotaur's blood until you've gotten everything else. It has to be rather fresh you see."

 _"And I know where to get what you need for my DNA. Since my dad and my mom hunted vampires they kept spare packs of blood ready in case they were needed. I had one sitting in my room when you showed up 'cause I was gonna use it for a trap. If my other mom hasn't moved it by now.."_

Weiss simply gave Ruby a look. Well, that didn't have to be fresh did it? Not like it was going to be for drinking.

"Excellent. That should be fine. Looks like we're in agreement! Tut tut then. If we're expedient it should only take.. Perhaps three days. Depending on how easily you can gather the supplies and I can create the vessel, and how long it takes for her to commandeer said vessel. I'll be rooting for you!"

"Thanks I suppose.. Except.."

"I suggest leaving that at home. It'd be risky just carrying it about, and I highly advise against trying to store it here." Graham said, pointing at the mirror which had a rather puffy cheeked girl exclaiming how rude he was and that she had a name. "Heh. Feisty one."

"I agree. About having her stay home I mean. How do I-"

"Just return to your room when you are done collecting, or when you're ready to lighten your load. I'd suggest the latter that way I can get somewhat started while you're out and about. Or seek out one of the milling necromancers and ask for me."

"Thank you. Really." Weiss said earnestly. The mere thought of being able to touch Ruby again, to hold her in her arms and look into those enchanting silver eyes true face to face.. It fueled her motivation and as she started to ask something else her surroundings began to melt away once more, her room in the castle repainting itself around her as she touched the floor with a bit of a stumble. It took her a few seconds to recover from her disorientation but when she was done Weiss started looking over the long parchment once more.

"Alright.. Let's see.. The first thing I suppose I'll go after are the shadow ferns.. Ruby, are you going to be okay sitting here alone?"

 _"I'll be fine. I spent a week running from that crazy old man but at least I'll be safe here."_ Ruby answered.

"..It won't be much longer. I promise.. Just don't let yourself be noticed. I don't want any awkward questions being raised." She looked around the room, settling on placing the mirror facing the bed atop the nightstand so that way nobody might see her by accident. It was hidden behind a lamppost for extra safety and with a long deep breath Weiss turned away. "I'll be back as soon as I can. I'll have to let someone know I'm going out for a little alone time so they don't worry.."

Ruby listened as the vampiress' footsteps faded and the door clicked shut, laying back inside her little reflective world. Similar thoughts raced through her mind in the grand silence of the room save for the ticking grandfather clock. Just as swiftly as they were reunited they parted, but at least it wouldn't be for long. Right?

 **...**

 ***back inside the plane of Reaper's Escape***

 **...**

"Whew.. Glad that went well. Almost thought she might not bite on that one." Graham chuckled to himself, snapping his fingers to an unheard jazzy rhythm as he looked over the altar. Could do with a bit of cleaning.. Eh. He'd do it later. Various alchemical devices like an alembic, retort, grinder, and etc phased into existence atop the stone along with several different pouches and cases. This was going to be a fun project..

He was either too engrossed in his work or simply oblivious to the dark cold presence that stepped from the shadow a few seconds later, its eyes boring into the back of his skull. Or perhaps..

"Heh. Thought you were gone for the day."

"What are you scheming, lich?"

"To brain three birds with one rock.. I can return to my old body, the ice princess gets her lover back, and we might just have what we need to eliminate those cursed vampires. I think between the two of them we can put an end to that monstrosity they worship."

The skeleton looked over his shoulder, green light illuminating his hollow sockets from the inside as he let out a deep and unearthly chuckle.

"Your daughter is going to be in for a surprise, Tundra, and I just cannot wait to see it opened."

* * *

 _BOOM HEADSHOT say whaaaaat? Yeah, I managed to pull it off. I can't believe I did it but wooo! Fit one more in! No time for a lengthy post A/N so count your lucky blessings if you're not a fan of 'em._

 _Gonna stop you once to say one thing though. Next chapter is gonna have an interesting little prologue. Can you guess who the new person is or what they're talking about? Stay tuned.._

 _Inspectre Offline._


	10. Fetch Quest

_Inspectre Online._

 _WOOOO! Good freakin' riddance Columbus, Ohio and hellooo Pulaski, Tennessee!_

 _No offence to any of my Buckeye lovin' Ohio readers if I have any yet, it's not anything personal. Just the friggin' HOURS oh my GOB. 13 to 14 hours of working at the state fair every day for two weeks straight! Worst spot on our yearly schedule and I'm glad it's over with for another year! Don't even get me started on how I was up for 40 hours straight working on teardown taking down rides, or that plus having to wait about two days with maybe a few hours sleep for a ride to Pulaski. I had to sleep on a rolled up lead line under a mat, and then for the ten or so hour drive to Tennessee I slept on the floor of the van. No it was not comfy because I was stuck like a cat in a mailbox between the side doors and the seats because we had people in each of 'em. But hey if it fits I'm gonna get me some damn shuteye. Then come morning since we left around midnightish we went straight to work like it's a flippin' circus jump. I'm finally gona get some quality sleep tonight as of writing this._

 _But hey it's all over now and not only am I back in my house I got local wifi on the lot so I can do roleplay and write for you guys at a decent pace again so hoo-ah!_

 _TL;DR, carnie life ain't easy and anyone who tells you otherwise is on some major crap. Now we're back to a more regularly scheduled programming. Up next on channel 5, news at 11 and review answering at 10!_

 _At Beloved Nightmare Union: *insert 'oh stop it, you' meme* Yeah Ruby's a ghost, ooooh~ Totally a better idea than summoning her soul again. Also, the Archangel's Bane is another idea of mine that's slightly based on something I support as a possibility in the show but don't firmly believe in. I think Jaune's Semblance might be some kind of light based support/defence Aura or something. I would call it ArcAngel because I'm punny like that. Yeah it'll be interesting, although Weiss has already sorta met Yang before (a bit of backstory covered in Blood-Red Like Roses) and Weiss certainly met Raven.. Hasn't met Taiyang though. I'm still not sure if he'll be in this story but I kinda want him to be. Hectic workload, ha you have nooo idea. I do shed some light on that in the above section of A/N though. It's.. Rough._

 _As for second review since I might as well cover them here and now. Ruby will meet at least two of them as far as I see things progressing. Generally speaking, the Lich is someone who has a great case of obfuscating stupidity. A facade that serves to hide his true cunning and intellect. We'll see a bit of that in this chapter. He's not someone to trifle with. As for the question.. Both. There will be little snippets covering some of the ingredients, although two will be written out fully for plot reasons. Heh, FMA. I liked that series, and Brotherhood was definitely better in my opinion. Also if anyone has played Advance Wars (kinda gonna be the focus of my likely next and would-be-first Crossover fic, as well as the first combination of these two universes that I can see) tell me Scar doesn't look like Hawke so I can say YOU LIE. Whose father? If you're talking about- Oh just read the chapter._

 _At Andilite: Excellent! And you'd be surprised.. Context is big clue. Wisdom teeth, oooooh ouch.. Yeah same here. I'm rolling around in a pile of ore that I'm digging out of the gold mine of potential I salvaged from continuing this story. New body and then some. Heheheh.. And I think it's either angelic or at least some kind of special power and not genetics in RWBY. Then again the Schnees have a hereditary Semblance.. Maybe the silver eyes power is hereditary as well? By Qrow's words I'm assuming that it's either long reaching through different families (and not just particular to the Rose family) or like the Maiden powers, selective._

 _At BlakJakXXI: He's too smart to let emotions cloud his judgement but at the same time he won't tolerate offences and will find some way to enact revenge. Yeah I prefer this setup compared to the old one. Ruby being a trapped/regret bound soul makes much more sense than say Weiss calling her down from the afterlife. Oh Skeletor and the dark one here aren't exactly going to be antagonists.. Muramasa is amazing. I cannot say that enough. Plus if you're up for a challenge there's the.. Shura? No.. Hrrm. It's something Japanese. Anyway there's a third unlockable mode where you're forced to play the game with only one HP. ONE HP. Go hardcore or go home eh?_

 _Oh come the- Did I screw up in consistency again? So sorry about that.. I'm gonna clarify here and now. When they're not disguised, those born/sired from/by a Schnee have.. Uh. Wait hold on. Looking at this diagram.. WELP. I dun goof'd. Got my eye anatomy mixed up. The sclera (white part of the eyes containing the iris and pupil) are supposed to be white, and the iris of their left eye is supposed to be black with a red pupil (which is normal for vampires in this AU's world, and both eyes are supposed to be that way) as the iris of their right eye is ice blue with a white pupil (containing their shadow and ice power which is why it differs). I apologize for that screwup and will sometime go back and CTRL+F out all those so I can fix them but for now that's the lore. Also when a Schnee gets into battle mode, or furious, or both, both of their eyes can blot out and become pitch black._

 _Very few people, and generally speaking getting hands on a solid source of DNA like that in these circumstances (unable to get to the body or if there's no body to procure it from) would complicate things. Plus, even typical necromancy is tedious and difficult. It's not like in some video games and whatnot where the caster can just throw out some magic energy and BOOM, undead. They have to hand-raise each corpse and prepare it. Except in cases where dead bodies are just laying dormant and ready to come alive like say a battlefield or cemetery. Graham is a lich if that wasn't obvious, but his exact methods will be explained. He knows more than he lets on._

 _At Grn Drgnzrd: He's meant to be a very humerus character that tickles funny bones. No fibia'n. And he is talking about killing off the Crossbreakers._

 _At djjohns94: Seriously who hasn't watched He-Man, Masters of the Universe? Old cartoons like that was (and still is) where it's at. Swat Kats: The Radical Squadron, Darkwing Duck, Chip 'n' Dale: Rescue Rangers, CatDog, Gargoyles, I could go on but for the sake of not making this A/N any hideously longer than it already is I won't._

 _I will however answer any and all fan mail so even if that ends up taking around 5000 words then gee darn it Batman I will!_

 _Except now I'm out of reviews to answer so uh.. I guess let's get to the story now yeh?_

* * *

He stood tall, menacing and intimidating as the aura of pure fear that radiated from his dark being. It didn't affect the dead man talking but the slightest bit of pale blue frost came over his bones as footsteps echoed in the dark reliquary. Regal wear blacker than night with trimming and designs of the brightest white across it clothed him, a mantle that extended above his head hiding the back of it from view. In a nonexistent breeze the single piece of his tailcoat billowed like an all-encompassing shadow as he walked, the candlelight illuminating wrinkled features gnarled in an expression that would put to shame even the grumpiest of grumpy cats and send lesser vampires running for their coffins. One eye black and red, the other white and blue, there was no denying his lineage as a Schnee for he was the current patriarch of the family. Tundra Schnee. Ghost white hair delved to his shoulders inside his coat, leather cracking on the male's gloved hands when he paused a few feet from Graham who didn't even give him another look back as he went back to his alchemical devices.

"And so the iceman cometh."

"You realize your departure from this realm is a breach of the contract." Tundra growled softly.

"Eeeh I needed some fresh air. Besides I think you're gonna like this."

"Explain yourself and your machinations. I've no time for your games."

Graham made an eyerolling motion with his skull and the lights within his sockets before turning around. The Schnee male crossed his arms, tapping fingers on one arm.

"You spoke of your old body which I am not going to allow you to tamper with, I believe my daughter and that human girl, and what I assume to be the Crossbreakers.."

"Gasp. How'dja know?"

"I'm curious to ask you the same thing, lich. I felt your presence in the world but only for the briefest moment. Too short to gleam much information."

"I have my people call your people every now and then. They say dead men tell no tales but really it just takes a special ear to hear 'em. Plus I've been keeping tabs on the silver eyed ones for, sheesh what's it been. Couple centuries?"

"Silver eyes..? Is this where they come in?" Tundra narrowed his gaze, looking past the skeleton to his various glass pieces assembled on the altar. "And I recognize some of those ingredients you listed. They're not for the creation of homunculi of that I am certain. You're planning on restoring your original form."

"Okay I know that's also a breach of the contract but hear me out. You're gonna love this. See, I stay connected to current events through my cult of necromancers and I know all about what's been brewing in Vale. I know all about the stuff that went down with the Crossbreakers and White Flower and their crusade against the silver eyed people. I mean that's been old news but I'm talking about recently." Graham quickly explained, holding his hands up at chest level.

"..You're staying remarkably well informed.. How much do you know?" The vampire asked inquisitively. He was starting to get curious about what Graham had in store with what he overheard. All of it, needless to say. He'd come from Atlas at top speed when he felt the lich break the barrier between spaces and he was one of the people with special permissions to access this one. Not to mention as an elite royal vampire, hiding his presence was child's play. At least from Weiss. Graham on the other hand likely just pretended he wasn't aware.

"Pfft, what I know could fill a congressional library compared to you. The founding of Vespor, the rise and fall of Hollowsoul Castle, the Khabal Rebellion which _you_ instigated if I recall correctly."

"Your point. Get to it."

As he started to grow visibly more impatient Graham nodded and gestured towards his things. "Vortogk is getting paranoid. His little sect has always been fearful of those with silver eyes but lately it's been getting a teensy bit extreme. I mean come on, both of us know what really happened ten years ago but if we can't prove it.. Well, ain't politics a major pain? Except now he's slipping up. Twice now he's tried to kill off the last of the Rose family and twice he's failed. Your daughter Weiss got caught up in the middle of it the second time around which I'm sure you know of by now." The cracking of ice as well as leather by curling fists was a clear yes to the skeletal one so he continued. "But I have a plan.. See, if I can get the dead girl a new body he'll definitely be gunning to try and kill her again if he's not already trying to get his filthy demon claws on her soul. Between the ice princess and the silver eyed girl I think we can smack his little assault down and get rid of him once and for all. The other Crossbreakers are only protecting him out of either fear and respect for the honor among you vampires. If we can turn the others against him on top of that.."

"I fail to see where you're going with this. Perhaps it's your obfuscating foolishness concealing the intellect I once respected that muddles things." Tundra responded with another growl. Slapping his forehead Graham summoned a mystical tome into his hand, one bound with gold thread and covered with strange white letters. He began to read aloud as it was opened to a bookmarked page.

"Lessee here.. Holy blessings, angel's gifts, yadda yadda warriors of Heaven and etc, ooh here we go. The Archangel's Bane. I-"

"The girl cannot possibly possess such a gift, let alone use it. It's nothing more than a myth that started ages ago."

Graham made a buzzer noise, returning the interruption with his own. "Wrongo! Actually it's simply a dormant power that just nobody's ever unlocked yet. The power of St. Michael the Archangel.. I really wanna know what it does 'cause even I don't know much about it. I do know that it exists though. Why else would a demon spend his time trying to purge any trace of its origins for a thousand years running? The fun part is figuring out how to break the seal. Something about uhh.. Light that cuts through the darkness in the tide of danger. This stuff is like ancient Egyptian algebra to me but that's the gist of it." He flung the book over his shoulder, it disappearing in a puff of smoke just before it would have hit the ground.

"And.. How is any of this meant to benefit either of us..?"

"I'mma thunkin' giving her a body that'll last long enough for me to figure it out is a good start. Or she might conveniently just unlock the power in the process. It'll be somewhat of a safeguard from Vortogk and his sect and y'know it'd be kinda harder to find another source of darkness that could force her to awaken that power. I think she can do it. I mean, her soul lasted at least six days on the mortal plane without dissipating. A few of those were while his little dog tried to banish her."

"..."

Tundra fell silent, unfolding his arms to rub his chin. Something in that caught his attention and he was thinking deeply on it. The male continued to do so for several minutes until finally breaking the silence with a huff.

"So you plan to make her one of the undead and have my daughter gather the things you need to do so in the process of obtaining what you require to repair your true body.. I do not approve of this manipulation, even if it benefits her. Treating her like some sort of errand girl.."

"For the record, your words, not mine. Though I think she'll do a great job. Besides if I'm right it'd get those radical Crossbreakers out of your hair. That's my part of the deal. Yours'll be letting me out of the contract or at least rewriting it. C'mon, gimme a longer leash. Not like I plan on trying to overthrow you again. Your daughter will be happy and no more shadow demon causing problems for your family or the rest of the world! Win win! I mean they've always rubbed you the wrong way anyway so why not?"

Again Tundra fell silent, mulling over the options. Allow Graham to continue with his little play.. Would it be wise to let him return to his former power? The contract written so long ago condemned the lich and his followers to serve the Schnee family without question, and forbade him from entering their world, but his magic expertise and power would prove highly beneficial in taking care of the demon and his followers. Plus it'd make his daughter happy to have that Ruby girl back in the physical plane and while he acted the fool, Graham was no idiot. His act concealed a great mind that knew what it was doing.. Could she really possess the potential to use the Archangel's Bane? Especially if the conclusion he was starting to come to based on his earlier words could be even remotely true..

"..."

"So.. Gonna throw me a bone here? If not I can just go crawl back under a rock and play Scrabble. Weiss has no chance of pulling off what I'm trying to help her do without me and you know the silver eyed ones are the only thing stopping him from waging war on the humans. He fears even the slightest chance that legend is real. Sooner or later he'll start gaining more power, more followers.. As it stands even you can't really kill him yourself and that's if you wanna risk breaking the non-aggression treaty between covens. He's not dumb. He'll continue working from the shadows until he's confident all the upper hands are his to deal. Then he'll start absorbing the other families like he did the original Crossbreakers and well you know how THAT'LL go."

"... Very well."

"Eh?"

Tundra looked down at the lich, closing his eyes and crossing his arms again. Something about that just seemed _too_ easy, coming from this man of all people.

"But you are not to leave this world again without my say-so. I'll be watching, do not fail."

"Pfft, can't tell me what to do. You're not my real dad!"

With an irritated eye twitch the vampire lashed out, grabbing Graham by the head and freezing it solid through and through before crushing it like a glass cup. The skull shattered into countless frosty shards as the rest of its body fell back on the floor with several clatters.

"I despise your moronic and immature manner of speaking. It repulses me to the point where it makes me ill."

"Bet I could make a cure-all for what ails ye from the mushrooms growing on the rotten stick up your bum. Y'know if you weren't so dour and stoic all the time people might actually enjoy being around ya." Graham's voice echoed through the room, a skeletal hand jutting from the ground by his neck as a new skull formed within it. It was slapped on and affixed with cracking noises before the hand retracted and he stood back up, twisting it a bit. "So what's the word big bird? That a yes no maybe I don't know? Need me to repeat the question?"

"Perhaps you don't realize it yet but I believe you are on to something. At first I'd have called you foolish but if what you say is true.. That the Archangel's Bane is a sealed and dormant power. ..No human spirit is capable of persisting for more than perhaps a few days in this world before it becomes lost to darkness and despair, and that twisted sycophant of a false priest that serves Vortogk is said to have attempted exorcising her amongst all of that..? I implore you to be serious for once. Is this fact?"

"The whispers of the dead reach far and wide and make no mistake my sources are correct." The skeleton confirmed, nodding his new head. "Personally, I think that this girl has what it takes to use the Archangel's Bane, whatever it is. I glimpsed her soul for only the shortest while but it is very pure and innocent. If it could unlock that most holy power, even the shadow demon shouldn't be able to resist it. You know the story as I do but interring it into the body of an undead will not be easy. It'll have to be capable of taking on her powerful spirit as well. I'm thinking.. A wight's? Wait. What are you getting at Tundra?" He asked, genuinely curious now. Did he miss something?

It almost alarmed him when a rather creepy smile spread across the elder vampire's face, a dark and sinister laugh escaping it for a moment.

"I never did think too much about it when she told me the girl had the face of an angel."

 **...**

 ***somewhere off in in a distant village town..***

 **...**

She awoke with a start, glancing left and right at her surroundings. Where was she..? The slight throb of her head had last night's memories coming back like a small wave. The first thing she'd set off for was the 'succubus milk', which wasn't exactly one might think based on the name. She was still sitting in the chair with an empty bottle of brandy and two shot glasses sitting on the table next to it, the rest of the hotel room rather tidy and organized. It must have been cleaned while she was asleep. Looking over at the table there was also a note stuck under the bottle, one the female picked up rather hastily and began to read.

'Heya! You kinda fell asleep while we were chatting. I know, my life story was kinda boring but it was fun just being able to sit and talk with someone who could relate, yah? Think the drinks helped. You're lucky you happened to come across me 'cause let me tell ya this stuff is pretty rare. You have any idea how hard it is to find a Cubus demon in love? Pretty sure anybody who knows what we are knows we're usually pretty indiscriminate and never stick to one person and that's the only time you'll ever be able to get succubus milk. Or incubus. Does it really matter? I'm no alchemy expert so I wouldn't know, plus who gave it that name anyway? It just looks like milk but whatever.. Case we ever see eachother again I'll thank you in person for the advice alright? Sorry about your girlfriend by the way, hope things work out!' -Cecilia

Sitting next to the empty brandy bottle was a smaller vial with a crystal topper, one full with milky white substance. The succubus milk. Apparently it was a substance generated by succubi when they became attracted to a single person, which with their tendencies was about as common as lightning hitting someone twice in a row. Still the vampiress had managed to luck out, asking around one of the red light districts for any that might happen to know where to find it or what it even was for that matter since the book failed to clarify. She ended up meeting one who met the criteria, having fallen in love with a customer who started to visit her often. Agreeing to part with some over a few drinks and a little bit of Weiss' time Cecilia netted her the next item on her list.

"Enough of this place.. Now what's next? Fade mushrooms I have and wish to never try finding again. To think humans actually induce this kind of hallucinogenic status in themselves for recreation, they're insane! If I hadn't needed to do it to see them that would have been fantastic.." Weiss shook her head. Now that had been a rather unpleasant trip. So the next item..

"Gwyllgi bones. I can stop and pick up shadow ferns on the way there as well as.. Hm? Caerbannog Killer claws? This seems rather ludicrous.. But if it means having her back in my arms." She sported a freshly determined look, stowing the parchment away into a spindly black hand that extended from her shadow. "Though where in the world am I supposed to find a chimaera?"

...

...

The trip to the assorted lands of Vacuo took longer than it did to find her next objective. A Gwyllgi. Weiss managed to encounter one her second night in the city of Vastra around the outside of a graveyard, securing another handful of the listed ingredients in the process. 'Three days, pah!' she thought to herself. It was a fierce and violent if brief struggle that left her entire body marred with bite marks but in the end she managed to finally pin and skin the dog-like creature before ripping the skeleton from its flesh. Graham didn't specify how he wanted them or which ones for that matter so Weiss felt like leaving nothing to chance and just took the entire thing. As her shadow swallowed them she leaned against the brick wall, plopping down onto the cobblestone street with a groan.

"I hope she appreciates everything I'm doing here. I should probably feed soon. My powers should have healed me by now. ..." Pause. Something was amiss. Something was.. Watching. Left? Nothing down the street. Right? Nary a creature stirring, not even a mouse. Certainly it wasn't down below so that only left- *clatter*

A few falling pieces of rock about the size of her thumb bounced on the rocky road as the vampiress looked up, seeing the cracked and rigid faces of those statuesque guardians of the elevated heights atop the city's oldest buildings. Several of which she'd snooped around and found nothing of since it had still been daylight after all and their kind were notoriously inactive at the time.

"Uuugh.. Might I have about five minutes?"

The gargoyles disrespectfully declined, swooping down upon the one who had so carelessly stumbled about through their resting places with clear intentions. Their claws and talons came out as their wings extended and they let out horrifying screeches. Needless to say her response was equally courteous.

...

Beaten, battered, and worn but victorious she stumbled into a nearby shack and fell into slumber. When she awoke it was to the sight of a gun being brandished at her face by the singular occupant. Thus went the issue of where she'd find proper sustenance. Such rapid progress pleased her. Almost as much as the taste of blood when she dove into her victim's neck.

...

"Alright.. " Weiss smiled, licking her lips as she dropped them them to the floor. "That's mostly everything. The rest I can swing around and pick up on the way, albeit with a few detours.. Graham said to get the minotaur blood last and I still need to find something with Ruby's DNA. There's supposed to be a bag of blood in her room, or at least she said there should be. If not.." She frowned. If not then there was only one way she'd be getting what she needed. Either through desecrating Ruby's remains which she loathed and refused the prospect of, or by asking Raven Branwen if she could acquire another pack. That was going to be a very wild card, unsure if she'd find herself looking at the gleam of the swordswoman's blade or not for returning.

"*sigh* First I'd better drop these off. Then I'll go by Ruby's place. I'm so not looking forward to that.." Her cloak swished behind her as she departed, the door swinging shut and locking of its own accord. ..Not several seconds after like a gelatinous mass emerging from the mold a blackened figure split from the wall, taking on a humanoid shape.

"... ..The king will likely be her target. It is there you would have me go? ... ..Yes my lord. Right away. She will be stopped there. As for the- Right. She's on her way now."

 **...**

 ***back in the underground dark reliquary***

 **...**

Through the pitch black hall her footsteps echoed, pale blue light flickering as the candles once again lit to guide her way. This alerted the skeleton to her impending arrival but he seemed to pay it no mind as Weiss entered the room. She wasn't too surprised to see the table of alchemical devices or the scant objects and items she'd previously dropped off but what did catch her eye was the blanketed shape that now lay upon the altar in their place. It smelled.. Strange. Not human. Almost though.

What also caught her eye was the fact that Graham instead of working was.. Watching TV. A television was being supported by a skeletal arm with lengthy fingers grown from the floor, a similar type of bony recliner chair holding him up with his feet stretched out. Somehow the male was eating a bowl of cereal while doing so. Each spoonful fizzled and disappeared when he put the spoon beyond his teeth so it seemed he was getting something out of it.

"Ooh pow right in the faaace! Gotta admire that spunk, Buttercup. Though Bubbles is so adorkable-."

"Excuse me!"

"Whoahey ring the doorbell next time ya little spycicle! I could've been naked in here." Graham laughed, tossing the bowl aside. Everything, including the TV and furniture would evaporate into smoke as he stood up and turned to face Weiss who clearly wasn't amused by his slacking off.

"But you're- Mrgrgr.." Oh how she had to bite her tongue. Almost literally to prevent herself from exploding. A flick of her wrist had her cape billowing out once before it retracted, leaving behind several boxes, a rack of vials, flasks, and other miscellaneous things that she'd been requested to collect on her travels. Upon seeing them the male let out a strange 'squee' noise and leapt over to inspect them personally. Hydra scales, the plants and herbs, all the other parts.. Everything was accounted for except understandably the last two bits. "Now.. I'm going to go see about obtaining that blood you need."

"The minotaur blood? Get that last remember? Or do you mean the girl's blood? Yes yes go along. No rushing, I'll be a while working on the new body. It's gonna be pretty awesome."

"Alright then. I'll be quick about it. I know you don't have any personal reasons for this like I do but please take it seriously.." Weiss grumbled, walking away and back up into the hall.

"I'm 100% committed to this! Bein' super cereal! It'll be the greatest homunculi ever! You won't even be able to tell the difference. I might do a few alterations though. Change a color here and there, add like I dunno some cat ears and a tattoo then call it an OC! Original idea do not steal please."

It was difficult but she managed not to turn around and rip one of those candles from the wall so she could throw it at him. Instead as soon as she felt herself being pulled back into her room from this strange dimension of the undead her destination was set for.. Ruby's home. And how she prayed that it'd be easy, just in and out.

The night covered flight into Vale and to the general area where she was certain it was located was uneasy for the princess, her thoughts all cluttered and both pleasant and unpleasant memories flooding back. The last time they'd met there it wasn't on the best of terms as Ruby had tried to kill her, then left her for dead, then almost came around when the Crossbreakers attacked en masse. And that was when she..

Those thoughts were thrown away as Weiss descended, touching down on an adjacent rooftop with the slightest clicks of her heels. There were.. Three people inside. Probably her adoptive mother and father, and her cousin/sister. Four if one counted the dog. Great.

A deep breath she took before stepping away from the edge and gliding to the windowsill. Her form stuck to the side of the house as she placed a hand over the window, small shadows slithering around the frame as an audible click was heard. It would come open and allow the vampiress entry to slip inside and look around where she'd immediately zero in on the small red object sitting on a dresser top. The labeling and the unmistakable murky dark red contents.. Come to think of it it looked as if the room hadn't even been disturbed since she was last there. The tripwires both broken and not, the bed..

Weiss wasn't there to inspect it though. Briskly she made for the blood pack, picking it up and stowing it away. Objective completed. Now she had to seek out the final item. Minotaur blood. She already knew where she'd be heading to get _that_ particular thing and wasn't looking forward to it either.

"I knew this would be an inevitable confrontation but I suppose I'll have to deal with it myself. Well then.."

As she turned to leave her senses picked up on someone approaching. Rather.. Oddly. The pace of their footsteps was without rhythm and rather confusing until it hit her. Weiss paled.

She smelled Raven Branwen before she actually saw her shove the door open, vampire smell aside the woman reeked. Not like she hadn't taken a bath but the scent of alcohol coming from her could probably put lesser (wo?)men under the table and unlike the simultaneously alluring and intimidating swordswoman from before..

Ruby's death had hit her _hard_. Her hair was a disheveled mess, t-shirt hanging loosely off one shoulder and from what Weiss could tell she wasn't wearing anything else except for her undergarments. The woman's face was sullen and half-lidded as she took another gulp from the bottle of what looked like vodka in her hand and stumbled, leaning back against the interior doorframe. Quickly Weiss bolted into the corner of the room merging with the shadows themselves, although she was uncertain if Raven would have noticed her otherwise.

"Hey there.. How ya doin' kiddo..? ..Right.." She spoke with a slur and hung her head, swishing the alcohol around before slowly straightening up best she could and taking a few paces into the room. Weiss' heart throbbed with pity and sympathy, noticing how marred her face was from constant crying. She understood. Ruby had been the last thing she had in connection to her brother after all, losing him and his wife who she rather liked in the Crossbreaker attack ten years ago. Now she had nothing. Nothing but her own husband and daughter.

"..." Another drink, then a few more steps. She looked down at Ruby's bed for a minute and then turned, sitting sideways on the side and putting one hand down by the pillow. After a few seconds it clenched, Raven barely withholding a sob with a sharp intake of breath as tears streamed down her cheeks once more.

"I'm sorry.. I'm so pathetic.. I failed." The vampiress cringed. She really wanted to leave before this went any further. "..What good was it for you to teach me how to fight when I can't protect the people I love..? ... She looked so much like her mother." Both her laugh and smile came out like they were forced before she hung her head again, setting the bottle on the nightstand. "I meant it Qrow.. I'll make them pay, all of them. Even if it kills me I'll hunt them all down. ..That's what I want to say but I can't.. Taiyang and Yang, I can't leave them alone. Who'll take care of the grandkids huh? ..Christ, a grandmother at my age.." Raven snatched up the bottle and this time took three gulps, knocking it back as if it were water before slapping the bottle down. "... ... ..Not happy yet huh? Wanna take us too? Go ahead. I only need my bare hands for one you monster."

Weiss froze as the swordswoman turned her head to face her. Somehow she knew and could feel her even in her current state but it was apparent she could only sense her presence and not her identity. Cover blown and with great reluctance the princess stepped from the shadows, clasping her hands in front of her. Raven's eyes widened a bit in surprise. Looks like she hadn't forgotten about her. "M-Mrs. Branwen.."

"You.. ..Come to say goodbye? She's not here. ... ..There's a graveyard reserved for members of our order in upper Vale. I'd write an address but, heh. I don't think I could hold a sword with these hands. Miracle I can hold that. If you really want.. Get it from Taiyang. He knows who you are.."

She looked down, eyes coming up and refusing to meet the older woman's as she mumbled an apology. She too failed to protect Ruby and felt just as much guilt at her death, though with recent events some of that was starting to lift from her shoulders. Not that she would tell Raven about that. But wait.. Ruby would surely want to come see her family once she was back in the physical world, or even if things didn't work out she would still want to see them for closure if just as a ghost. Despite being a powerful royal vampire Weiss was legitimately fearful of her family's potential wrath if they found out what she did. Even if Raven had told Ruby that they wouldn't have minded her becoming a vampire before..

"Don't. It's not your fault.."

"But I was there. If I had been stronger-"

"Don't you think I ask myself the same thing every night..? It's done. There's nothing I can do. Nothing we can do.. At some point.. We have to accept she's gone.." Raven interrupted with a sob.

"She's not."

Weiss had no idea what compelled her to say it, maybe to give the troubled woman a bit of peace of mind or maybe she had the briefest bout of insanity just then. Regardless, after a few blinks and a stunned moment of silence from her she continued.

"Ruby.. I.. I know this is going to sound quite far-fetched but just believe me. Her soul is still in this world. She never passed on. And.." Well there was no turning back now. "I think there's a way to bring her back. As an undead." Gulp.

There was no telling what was going through her mind right now, but she was rapidly growing more concerned as Raven remained silent. Until..

"You mean.. Necromancy." It amazed Weiss that she even knew of such a thing as real but she'd nod her head. "..If you think I'd want my niece coming back.. As a mindless rotten-"

"She'd be practically the same as before. Just in a different body, a strong undead one. Not a mere shambling corpse. I had the same apprehension when I first heard the idea but I believe it."

There was a tense silence in the air for a good while when suddenly Raven looked at her with slightly angry and shimmering eyes.

"..Don't lie to me."

"I'm not. I give you my word. I can't guarantee it will work but the reason I'm here is because of that. I want to see her again just as much as you do Mrs. Branwen.. I would never joke about something like this."

The fierce determination in her mismatched eyes was all Raven needed, that and she knew because of the night Ruby was killed that Weiss cared a great deal for her. It certainly sounded laughable, implausible, but if she believed..

"Ruby.. ... ..Then why are you here..?"

"I needed some of her blood. Ruby told me that because your families are vampire hunters, they keep spare transfusions ready of their own blood in case of emergency." That was another solid point in her case for this was indeed true.

"Blood? There was a pack in here.. I didn't move it but.. Oh. You already have it?" Weiss nodded. "I see.. ..You truly love her don't you?"

"With all my heart, cold and black as it may be." The vampiress answered with a small smile. This elicited a bare one from Raven in return. "I should go, I'm almost done with what I need to do. I'm.. Sorry Mrs. Branwen. I don't know what else to say but I can't stay."

Weiss was really ready to leave and was just about to when fast as a snake Raven grabbed her wrist. "Wait. ..What else do you need? If there's anything.. Anything I can do to help.."

"Unless you happen to have a minotaur locked in the basement I can get blood from, there's not anything else." She had responded sarcastically so it was gradually making her more curious when the woman kept staring at her and not letting go.

"Minotaur? ..There's a tribe that lives in the forest outside the edge of Vale.."

"That's where I'm going."

Raven mumbled something to herself that even Weiss couldn't make sense of before slowly starting to stand up, pulling on her for support and almost falling back if she hadn't caught her.

"..Good luck. And, thank you. When you see Ruby again, please.. Tell her we love her."

"I promise."

Her grip went from the princess' wrist to her hand, squeezing it with a firm clutch. "..I'm sorry too. Qrow, my brother, he- She was all I had left.. I promised him I'd take care of her, an honor to his memory. My brother was the one who taught me to hunt, taught me how to fight, taught me how to drink.." Raven smiled, letting out something a mixture of a laugh and a sob as she started crying again. "I miss him, I miss Summer, I miss Ruby.. If you can do it, please. Bring her back.."

"I will. Believe it."

The swordswoman sniffled and grabbed Weiss into an embrace, holding her and shifting left and right. It made her feel a bit awkward but she felt for her and understood what she was going through. It was perhaps for several minutes until she started to hear another set of incoming footsteps that she had to make them separate. With one last look Weiss stepped towards the windowsill, shadows forming around her body as she took flight and left the woman to fall to her knees, face buried in her hands.

So much hardship, sadness, so much pain, so much grief and anguish caused over what? Radical vampire supremacy? Disproportionate retribution under a false pretense? There couldn't be any justification to it, much as she felt it was wrong to take the side of humans over fellow vampires. Two families, one ripped apart and one nearly eradicated over this.. The Crossbreakers had always been a brush going against the grain of her family's ideals and sometimes a thorn in their sides but this..

She was going to crush them all, come Hell or high water. Even if she had to do it alone.

* * *

 _Ooh ee ooh ah ah ting tang walla walla bing bang! Another round in the gun, another chapter for the books! Err, book._

 _So we got like a giant family sized serving of foreshadowing this chapter, between Graham and Tundra Schnee. No idea what Weiss' father might actually be named but personally I like that one. Also, while I know they showed his face in the show I just.. Don't feel like it fits what's supposed to be the wicked scary strong head of a vampire family. So I kinda remembered something browsing the Google Play store and went back and thought 'y'know that guy on the icon for Darkness Reborn (same people who made Kritika) would make a great vampire'. Well his face would._

 _Also got a little bit emotional with Raven and Weiss there. lik dis if u cry evrytiem_

 _Fair warning though. The ending of the next chapter is gonna be a little.. Dark. I won't say much for spoilers except that it's not gonna be the last chapter obviously and things will get better, so just hang in there. Like when y'all flipped the Hell out after I killed Ruby. I know what I'm doing!_

 _Hmm. Depending on the hours this weekend.. I'm hoping to get that chapter out before we have to move to Lebanon. Unfortunately that means leaving the story on a major cliffhanger until I can get back to writing but them's the breaks. Highly unlikely I'll get two chapters. Unless we have the same hours as the week days for the weekend. In that case we'll see at least two chapters, the battle against a certain minotaur and the setup for the final scenes of the story._

 _Edit: Just realized I was saving my chapters in sequential order on here as Figure Eight chapters and not Red Snow chapters. Like say Figure Eight 6, Figure Eight 7, instead of Red Snow. DERP. Not that it really affects anything. Just thought it was amusing it took me so long to realize that. Been doing it since chapter 6._

 _Inspectre Offline._


	11. Darkness Falls

_Inspectre Online._

 _Went to go play some Advance Wars DS, considered a bit more Monster Hunter Generations when I thought naaah it's FANFIC TIME buddy! Again. 'Bout two hours after I posted the last chapter. Maybe hour and a half. Hoping to start my Advance Wars x RWBY crossover fic this month if that's what I'm going with. Hardly gotten any input when I threw a few ideas out last time but that's okay 'cause that's what hats and paper slips were invented for!_

 _Sidenote. I HATE Black Bombs. Hate 'em. Okay maybe I screwed up big when I accidentally ended my turn instead of moving my units but that was only like 2/5ths the problem. Terra Maw, Sonja. As Eagle. Everything woulda been fine but nooooo. That one totally broken unit is the only thing stopping me from liking Dual Strike more than AW2. Seriously, it's that awful. Low fuel but far movement range and when it explodes, everything within like three tiles loses 5 HP. Max HP for units is 10 and luckily it can't kill them, just drop them down to 1, but STILL. Also it's about as fragile as a paper airplane. Basically a suicide bomb that's expensive as crap. Can completely flip a battlefield over though. If I knew my away around Action Replay and coding I'd find a way to prevent them from being buildable units._

 _Anyway enough about my gaming woes. It's time to answer mail and start another chapter!_

 _At Beloved Knightmare Union: *does the Pyrrha 'hello again!' thing* *..again 'cause Wynaut* It takes a special talent to pull something like that off. Yang will get more screentime along with Blake in the other sidestory, which won't be as long and will be more connected to their own thing than this story. That said with it being in the same timeframe we will. I purposefully left Ruby out of the trip to her home but that would have been sweet wouldn't it? Yeah, Ruby's already dead and this isn't going to be a Tragedy so.. Yah. Major death, hmmmmm. Weiss not gonna die? HMMMMM. Is he joking? Is he hinting? Is it none of the above? Wait and see. Torture, good thought but nah. And rape, eeeeh I really skirt around that subject. I'll probably never detail something like that, and even referencing it I likely won't do unless it's in an already M+ fic. ..That big of a cliffhanger? Heh. Heheh. HAHA._

 _..._

 _Yeah it's gonna be frikken' hueg. That's how._

 _At Fate-chan2015: Oh wow welcome back. Hmmmmmmaybe. I'll put in something sweet in the chapter after this for ya._

 _At Andilite: Shifty? That's it? Wait until we find out who he reeaally is. It'll blow your flippin' skullmeat. As for Raven well she is a vampire hunter by trade so it's not entirely unbelievable. Plus as she says, Weiss believes it and she personally knows Weiss cares a great deal for Ruby so it's kinda to be inferred that Raven trusts Weiss. No worries!_

 _At djjohns94: I haven't actually seen it but I know what you're talking about so sorta. Just for a bit. There will be a few moments here and there. Believe it or not that's a bit meta, as a reference to a reference. In one of the Blade movies what'shisface is waiting for Blade to get back, waiting in the base and kicking back in a chair as he eats cereal and watches The Powerpuff Girls on a little TV sitting on his workbench. Also I don't mind the length of my A/Ns and people are free to skip 'em if they wanna miss out._

 _Hey anybody remember that one person that got mentioned for like a paragraph way back a couple chapters ago? Yeah turns out he's kinda, in the words of Charlie the Unicorn, 'pretty freakin' important'. At least for this chapter._

 _ALSO like I said LAST CHAPTER. This story is gonna take a sharp dark turn. Some of you may or may not cry and be filled with angry 's understandable. Don't drop the story though 'cause you're gonna miss out on how it gets better. A lot of you ditched out and/or raged when I killed Ruby 'cause y'all didn't pay attention when I said this story wasn't gonna end in tragedy, or on a bad note. Kinda not my fault but sorry! You see how that turned out, Ruby isn't permadead so just wait until next chapter!_

 _Might not be until Monday or so depending on my hours. Or might not even be next week. I have to find wifi every spot and after Sunday we go to Lebanon, Tennessee. I'll be working on it of course buut actually posting it.. Yeah. I could have it done tomorrow (not) but if I don't have internet I can't upload it._

* * *

Clack. Clack. Clack. The bag was in hand, her pace swift as she entered Graham's room. Hopefully for one of the last few times. Ruby's blood.. The smell enticed her even from inside its container but she knew she could not succumb to desire and drink it. Her eyes adjusted to the pale light before the skeletal one came into view. Glad was she to see that he was studiously at work, various boney limbs doing things like grinding up ingredients or mixing various substances. Two- Wait, four. No six. Eight? It looked like he had modified himself to support three extra sets of arms for the frenetic work he was undertaking and didn't even spare so much as a glance back when Weiss arrived.

"Oh good, you've obtained the most crucial part. Now I require the minotaur blood. I assume you don't have that yet which would be a good thing as it does need to be rather fresh. All the ingredients do really but this one especially so."

She looked at him rather skeptically. There was no jesting humor in his tone, no witty snarkasm or rampant references being made. Graham actually seemed.. Serious. Not that she was going to complain. Far better that he stay this way in her opinion.

"Just set it down with the rest of the things. Now, before you depart I need to give you two items. You'll most definitely need the first and the second.. I'm not entirely sure. You are the daughter of the Ice Tyrant but even so I feel your next foe will be a bit of a problem.."

"You know my father?" She asked curiously, carefully placing the bag on top of one of the boxes. ..Who _was_ this creature? Such vast and rare knowledge, purported magic power..

"We go back quite a bit. Actually we were once enemies. I attempted to defeat him and claim ownership of this castle after I'd already defeated the matriarch and patriarch of the Zahne family, but Tundra.. He's an incredible enemy but I don't think I need to tell you that." He chuckled. "I was faced with destruction or salvation at the cost of my freedom and so I chose the latter, and I've been entombed here ever since."

"I knew you weren't just some inane thrill-seeking necromancer." Weiss crossed her arms, tapping her foot with an expectant look on her face. "Spill it. What are you really after here? You don't gain anything from helping me, unless.. Father ordered you to?" It was a logical assumption to make but not one she entirely believed. Despite looking like the most pissed-off vampire to ever stare at the sun for too long his heart still beat with a love for his children. Even so..

"Oh no, though he did approve of this little experiment. Under conditions. That's a secret though Ms. Schnee. For me to know and if this works out, for you to find out." The way his hollows glowed with the same kind of green light cast by the moon above the grounds made her uneasy but she hid it well, ignoring his low laughter. Reaching for something on the altar where presumably Ruby's new body was still being created, he reached back and held out something. Whatever he had said he was going to give her it seemed. As she took them and looked them over, a glass flask with a mouth shaped like a set of animalistic jaws and a form fitting cork and a box about the width of her head, he explained. "Put the minotaur's blood in that flask, it's specially made for a reason. The box.. I suggest you don't open it unless you run into serious trouble. It's.. Hrm. How do I put this? It's basically a 'press X to not die' button."

The vampiress narrowed her eyes at him, wondering if he was trying to be funny. Sensing what she might be thinking he'd continue before she had a chance to ask anything.

"I don't know how modern you vampires have become but I've been keeping a close watch on both human and inhuman societies through my cult. It's somewhat of a reference to some of those 'video games' where you quickly perform an action to prevent immediate death or injury, or some kind of failure. You'll figure out what the item in that box is for when you open it, but don't use it unless you have to. It's a Zahne family relic and can be quite exhausting if you're not used to activating it."

"It's an emergency item then."

"Pretty much. You're going to that place aren't you? The Red Devil's Den, where King Adam's tribe claims territory."

That explained a lot of things, like how he knew what was going on on the outside or how he could even possibly presume to know where she'd try to obtain minotaur blood from. If Graham knew her father then he also knew of the conflict between Adam's tribe and the Schnee family. Which while the minotaurs themselves weren't a major threat on their own, that man-beast's rise to power made them more unified and more powerful. Plus the minotaur king himself was an opponent they were forced to recognize. At least he stayed on the edge of Vale and never came near Atlas or the Zahne castle.

"I don't know if you plan on fighting him or not, but consider obtaining his blood a secondary objective. It doesn't HAVE to be his and I don't want you putting yourself in unnecessary danger but if you do attempt to do so.. Be careful. If worst comes to worst, use that relic to escape. I highly advise against actually trying to slay him yourself. You could inflict some wounds for what you need but as far as defeating him in single combat.."

"I fear no enemy, but I know when it's proper to engage and when to retreat. Thank you Graham, I'll be back soon."

Her cape swished behind her as she turned to walk away, still holding the flask and box in hand. She put the flask away while continuing to look over the box which was clearly quite old and had the four winged bat symbol on it. What could possibly be inside..? According to what Graham had said she hoped she didn't have to find out. For the brave face she put on she did feel some nervousness at facing the mighty minotaur king. Much like the orcs or the vikings while they appeared savage and bloodthirsty, they were actually quite cultured and weren't as dumb or as violent as people thought. Not without good reason.

As she disappeared down the hall and soon from the world the skeleton paused. Without any kind of word, motion, anything akin to a summons a robed figure warped into being behind him into a one knee kneeling position.

"My liege."

"The demon thinks he's being clever but I can feel his taint around her. Undoubtedly.. Hmm. ..Here's what I'll have you do."

Something akin to incomprehensible disembodied speech and a hollow whisper came from Graham, the necromancer nodding and then rising before warping away again. This left the lich to stare blankly ahead before turning back to the altar. Now where were those bones? Reaching for something on the other side when his hand accidentally knocked a case to the floor he reached down to pick it up, some kind of jewelry falling to the ground with a clink as it had incidentally opened.

"Hm? What's this..? Wait. If this is the Suncross then what's in the- ..Ohh dear this isn't good."

 **...**

 ***outside the Zahne castle's bridgeway***

 **...**

"-and I would've loved to see a second movie. Maybe the new planet they made and the return of the Drej or something?"

"You know how most movie sequels turn out."

"C'mon, think about it. Titan- Oh helloooo."

The two dullahan knights paused their conversation to glimpse a woman walking towards them. A rather attractive blonde dressed like a secretary from some rich company, modest maroon skirt and black stockings, a white button up shirt with only a few buttons undone, and silver dress shoes that clicked on the wooden bridge as she moved. Her hair was up in a bun and a pair of glasses resting in front of piercing hazel eyes. Eyes that looked between the two males accompanied by a friendly smile as she stopped upon their request for identification.

"Natasha Veisen. A representative of the Crossbreaker faction-" Blades were drawn and held at angles but she kept speaking. "-and I wish to speak with the heads of the family." No wonder she managed to step through the fog shrouding the ground level of the castle, or had the nerve to walk through supernatural lands such as these. No humans ever did so so she must be a vampire in disguise.

"Crossbreakers.. You've got some incredible guts to come here after attacking one of the Zahne princesses." The first knight growled, a mix of blue and white flames filling his eyes as his sword began to crackle with black lightning. It dissipated quickly when the woman revealed herself as a member of the reformists however. The other didn't lower his guard so easily.

"Reformists..?"

"They used to be a unified coven but there have been rumors of infighting and divides, the old ones becoming increasingly aggressive towards humans and the others either not sharing in their violence or converting to the practice of coexistence."

"I assure you I am of the far latter, and wish to come clear up the details of those rumors with the Zahne family. We are sorry about that incident and would like to inform the masters that not all of us ally ourselves with those rather spiteful monsters. I wish there was something we could do about them but the treaty.. We cannot act against them without provocation, or if they've been found to be unjustly attacking humans without the purpose of feeding.."

"Rank politics, don't get me started." The man turned and nodded towards his partner, who with clear cynicism calmed himself and sheathed his own weapon before opening the portcullis. Natasha would bow her head politely and then head for the castle. "Another knight will escort you to them. It's merely a mandatory formality but one must be at your side at all times. I hope you understand."

"Of course."

...

The two dullahans watched her enter, the door closing behind before the first then shook his head. "Wish I could go out and find me a woman like that. Talk about sway, hooo. Hey, where are you goin'?"

"To take proper precautions." The second said curtly, giving the female vampire about two minutes to be inside before he went in himself. Distrust was written on his helmet covered features in bold capital letters.

"You're just bein' paranoid. Besides, she couldn't possibly pull anything in a place like this. If she did she'd be killed thirty times before she hit the floor. ..Great, guess I have to be the doorman." He grumbled, his armor glowing white for a moment as he phased through the metal portcullis and stood by the lever.

...

It was rather impressive. The sheer age of this castle was immeasurable by the naked eye, dating back at least several thousand years. Not only other blutsaugrs but also the shambling dead and other types of undead walked amongst them. The headless knights, peerless with steel, the robed ones that reeked of death and the decaying arts, and the woman would have sworn she heard the whispers of a banshee floating outside the upper levels of the grand building. Currently she was being taken to the royal hall where the closest family members tended to congregate, but as luck would have it she and her escort were intercepted by a dashing figure with dark and spiked silver hair..

"Prince Loue!" Immediately the knight saluted, awaiting acknowledgement from the boy before going at ease.

"Hmm.. I have to ask what kind of promotion you acquired to tend to such a lovely flower." His charm was turned up to 8 as he flashed Natasha a grin and a wink, receiving an amicable smile in return.

"She's here to speak with the masters about a sensitive matter sir."

"Well.. How unfortunate. My other parents are away on a honeymoon and father isn't here at the moment. Princess We- Zahne is off on some errand and my other siblings had something important to take care of." Whoopsie. He'd almost slipped up and used her first name. Around an outsider that was a big nono.

"I see. Very well then, I shall remain with her until such a time as she departs or one of them arrives."

"No need, I'll see to her safety." Loue affirmed. Her guard made a bit of an 'uhh' sound but when the woman wasn't looking he flicked a gold coin into a piece of exposed flesh through a gap in his armor and made shooing expressions with his hand. Without another word the two were left alone and the prince would take her hand, pressing his lips gently to the top. "Prince Loue of the Zahne royal family. Might I humbly ask your name?"

"Oh my, a true prince charming. Natasha." She replied, giggling at his display. "I take it you'll be my new 'gardener'?"

"For such a fine and vibrant young flower you are I'd have taken his head for the privilege."

Now switched up to 9, and seemingly working his charm had her following as he lead her away from the royal hall and towards the top of the castle into its four spires. He really didn't have any ulterior intentions in mind in doing so but how he did like to be the ladies man. It was a fun little game to him, one that he made sure his partners enjoyed. Perhaps he could also fish out whatever she was going to speak to the heads about. The soldier had regarded it as sensitive so it must be something important and Loue had an inkling as to what.. Some might think he was trying to bed the vampiress but it was one of the few places one could be guaranteed privacy to talk about such a thing.

The prince took his time in bringing her there, also playing tour guide as a fellow vampire of a high ranking coven would be able to appreciate the majesty of the place they lived in. She was amazed at everything, from the magnitude of its construction to its actual age which Loue stated to predate even his grandfather's existence as well as the surrounding landscape. A permanent eclipse.. That had to be an immensely strong and ancient magic at work.

Finally they reached the top of the living quarters, the young vampire leading her by the hand still towards his room. Natasha however ceased following him and would glance on down the hall towards another's. The at present three knights stationed there carefully watched them without making it obvious they were doing so, being of the utmost disciplined class with the prestige to guard the masters they weren't the type to start gossiping and giggling like monkeys in front of such a scene.

"Come my dear, my living area is this way."

"Err, pardon me prince but could I inquire which room belongs to the lady that was attacked by our nefarious kin?" Natasha asked innocently. When Loue pointed out Weiss' door she then looked towards it wistfully, clicking her tongue. "I'd have hoped to speak to her personally as well. If it's not too much of a problem.. Might we wait there?"

"You'll find it much more pleasant in my own quarters. I stock the finest wine and my interior decorating sense is much greater than my sister's.." He said with a scoff, blowing a few locks away from his face. When the woman gave him a bit of a pout he conceded, running a hand through his hair. What harm could it do? Plus there was the hook, now for the line and sinker.. "Very well. Though in exchange.. I'd like to know of what you speak. I could not get any answers from her myself but I assume you speak of the incident with the Crossbreakers."

"Yes, that is indeed the case." Natasha let out a forlorn sigh, adjusting her glasses.

"I see. Ladies first.."

"Prince Loue, Princess Zahne asked explicitly that nobody be allowed into her room unless she is present." Or not.

"Hmm? Did she now? Well that complicates things."

"Oh do be a dear and let us in won't you? Even if we promise not to-"

"No. Access is prohibited."

Shut down like an E-stop switch she bit her lip as Loue explained trying to reason with them wouldn't work. These were handpicked paladins of the dullahan class undead, and were incredibly strict. They followed orders without question and were capable of enforcing them rather easily if pushed. Which made it convenient because it would work in his favor..

"Except to another royal. As a born member of the Zahne family I request that you give me entrance."

"Sir."

"I'll deal with my sister. Do as I say before I make it a demand."

"Yes sir."

With a bit of a smirk Loue bowed his head and motioned with both arms for Natasha to enter as the room was opened for her, and despite their stubbornness the lady still beamed at the quarter guards. She got disdainful looks in return but nothing more as they moved back to their posts in silent overwatch.

Closing the door behind them the prince watched as she took a long look around, jokingly wondering aloud if a female's room just simply felt more at home for her. Which she answered rather humorously by asking if he'd never been in a female's room before.

"Don't let my boyish charm fool you my fair lady, you and I both know I'm older than I look."

"Oh? Hmhm.. Tell me, does age come with.. Experience?" Swiftly but not roughly the woman took ahold of his cloth and used it to push him into a sitting position on the bed, straddling him and bringing one hand up to his face. The sudden action admittedly made him both a little heated and a little uncomfortable at the same time.

As he felt his cheeks turn a bit pink he tried to keep his composure, confidently looking her back in the eyes and proclaiming that he had enough of both. How did things end up like this? It really hadn't been what he was aiming for but he wasn't sure if he should complain or not. Loue then winced as he felt one of her fingernails just barely cut into his face along the side, just enough to be both a bit pleasurable and painful.

"Such a handsome young man, so well mannered.. ... ..Heh. So foolish."

His heart skipped a beat. The cheerful and friendly smile from before twisted into a devious and malicious smirk as Natasha then leaned and pushed him flat on the bed. Something was wrong, very wrong. Loue went to get up but found that his upper body muscles weren't responding as they should. His legs were starting to lose their feeling as well. He was paralyzed and unable to do anything but breathe. The cut- Her nails were poisoned.

"I should thank you for being so kind, so.. Thank you. I did really enjoy your company but you drew the short straw. It's a pity you have to die. I can't have you revealing me after all. Such a shame, the prince of the Zahne family poisoned in his sister's room. Supposedly it happened when a member of the Crossbreakers came. Which of them can really be trusted these days, hm..?"

He watched or rather listened in horror as the vampiress got up and began walking around the room. It took her only a few seconds to find what she was looking for but when she did..

Ruby jerked awake, becoming very alert and very aware someone was picking up the ice mirror her soul was housed in. At first the girl smiled thinking that it'd be Weiss' face to greet hers as she looked out of the mirror's edge. That smile quickly became a look of horror as pitch black eyes bore into her silver ones, accompanying a deviant smile. "Found you.."

She screamed. In a split second the door exploded coming off of its hinges in pieces as the three paladin knights stormed into the room. Their weapons were brandished amidst flying sparks of black electricity as their eyes filled with fire, slowly spreading out and around Natasha. Even with the odds stacked against her she looked ever so joyous to see them. The first swing split the wall behind her as an onyx crescent wave emerged from the tip of the knight's blade, showering the area with sparks. Had she not turned her body and leaned aside it would have bisected her from top to bottom. Cackling, her fingers would twitch and crack as the darkness within her eyes began to creep out onto the skin around them like tendrils. As the woman began to rise into the air her voice would call out in a sweetly sickening reverberation.

 **"Let us play.."**

...

...

"Excuse me! Ma'am!"

"Ah!"

The female jumped as someone called to her, running quickly to her side before looking around.

"I don't recognize you.. Where is your escort? All outside persons must be accompanied by one of the Twilight Knights or a member of the royal house."

"Oh I'm terribly sorry. I was following the one calling himself Prince Loue but he suddenly had some urgent business to take care of and sent me to find someone. Would you please take me to the castle exit? I suppose I'll have to meet with the masters at some other time."

"Er.. Very well then. I'll see you to the bridge."

The vampiress beamed, falling in line after the knight and tucking a blackened mirror under her arm. It pulsed a few times every couple of seconds but nothing could be heard from its screaming occupant, even as her phantasmic hands pounded on the edge from the inside..

 **...**

 ***the outskirts of Vale in a heavily wooded area***

 **...**

Refreshing. That was one word for it. The trees were thick and healthy with canopies that a healthy amount of sunshine could stream through, clear rivers coursing through the fertile earth as the grass brushed across her ankles with every step. The air itself was remarkably clean and had a good scent. If it weren't for the most pressing matter of obtaining the final ingredient for Ruby's resurrection she'd have considered sitting down to simply enjoy and partake in the splendor of this area of nature.

"I didn't think places like this still stood. Not around human settlements.. *sniff* ..Getting closer."

The stench that suddenly pervaded the air on a level imperceptible to humans had Weiss change her course a bit, fondling the flask in her hand in anticipation. Her objective was a mantra repeated in her head as if she'd forget along the way. Kill a few minotaurs, get their leader's blood somehow, then bolt like a bat out of Hell. As much as she wanted to simply tear his head away from his shoulders, she knew it was more than likely she wouldn't be able to take him head on.

King Adam the Vengeful. A notoriously powerful minotaur that awhile back forcefully wrested control of this tribe and became its warchief as well as its leader. The result? A stronger and more unified tribe that no longer had to live nomadically between the countries and could stake claim on their own territory. Sure it was still between Atlas and Vale but now they no longer were threatened by other nomads or invaders and had a permanent residence. King Adam himself was infamous for his ferocity in battle and his ability with a sword. Unlike most minotaurs who used large hammers, maces, cannons, and axes, he used a massive tower sword for fighting. He also had the totem of the tribe, the war axe Tarvos, although it was more of a ceremonial piece than an actual weapon and only used for special rituals.

Rituals like executing captured trespassers into his lands, which in the past had consisted of vampires. One or two of which had been members of the Schnee/Zahne family. Retaliation had been swift and brutal, and left both sides regretting their aggression. Neither dared stray too close to the homes of the other nowadays with an exception every now and then. Weiss knew of the history between her family and the tribe of course and thus had no compunction in making them her target for her last objective.

She did however realize the dangers of trying to fight such a beast so instead of that, she'd find a way to get close hopefully without antagonizing him and then quickly attack, draw the blood she needed and somehow get it into the flask, and then escape. It was a great idea she thought. No real fighting needed.

Except it sounded like someone was already fighting, judging by the bellows of a minotaur and the snarls of something beast-like coming up ahead oh say forty yards or so. Form coalescing into a shadowy spiral it ascended up the closest tree to reform where she could then proceed to jump and glide across the branches unseen. It wasn't another minotaur so perhaps it was hunting something. It wasn't often their kind hunted the normal way, they tended to use traps or large crossbows so hearing the sounds of clashing steel made the vampiress curious.

When she finally got close enough to view the combatants Weiss was in for a surprise. Standing tall and wielding a huge eight foot sword was a beastly looking humanoid with copper colored fur, a darker spiky mane of it flowing from the back of its head to its waist where an equally spiky tail swished back and forth. He, judging by the shape of his musculature, clearly held the upper clawed hand as he swung his sword and knocked away the battleaxe the minotaur was carrying. It let out another loud bellow, watching its weapon hit the ground before looking back to its opponent. Just in time to catch the blade with its face, burying down to the neck and almost splitting its head in two. With a sick wrenching sound the blade was pulled free and shook off as the monster fell dead to the dirt.

Realizing that there were no more of the creatures to kill nearby the canine humanoid then stuck his sword into the earth, fur shedding and disappearing as his large frame shrunk down a bit to something more normal for a human. White streaks filled his hair which now came to his shoulders, ears rounding out as his muzzle turned into a regular human face. When it was all said and done there stood a familiar figure, clad in naught but a pair of black jeans, black gloves, and a studded collar. A 6'7" figure that she'd swear she met before..

"..Would you quit starin'? Never seen a man's body before?"

That attitude and the way he hefted that oversized piece of metal over his shoulders.. And that scent of dog. Blech. It could be none other than Rave Pitch, the husky (as in dog variety) male werekin from the night she met Raven. Right off the bat they had a bit of a rough meeting but it seemed underneath the rocky exterior he was something of a decent person.

Still didn't do any favors for how Weiss viewed him which was from a distance until he looked up directly at her, clarifying he was speaking to the princess.

"Sheesh. About time you showed up too. So ya gonna take some of this before it dries up or what?" The male asked, poking the dead minotaur with his bare foot. Wait. Was he talking about.. He couldn't. There was no way he could know. Unless somehow he found out from Raven?

"I'm not quite sure what you mean.." Total lie and a test of the waters.

"She shoulda said somethin' earlier.. Tch. Listen, let's just say I owe somebody and they asked me to come here and kill one of these things for you. Can't say who-"

"Mrs. Branwen."

"Yeah pretty much." Rave admitted without any attempt at denial. "She sounded pretty upset on the phone.. Besides, I couldn't tell her no anyway. Ever tell ya we went to school together?"

"Something along those lines was mentioned. Listen, Rave. I do truly appreciate the help but this isn't what I seek." He cocked his head, looking between the body and then here a few times before asking why she was there in the first place if she wanted minotaur blood. "What I want is the blood of their leader."

"Oh, alright. ..Wait you want WHAT? Are you frickin' crazy kid?" Twitch.

"For the last time don't call me a child, and I'm not crazy! ..It's just a bit personal is all. That said, I suggest you don't come after me. I plan to get what I need and then be gone. I'm not staying to carry you out or actually fight him."

"Just snatch some of his blood out of spite so you can taunt him about it?"

Weiss smirked. That sounded like a good plan, however she needed the blood for a far greater purpose. Still she could go on to laugh about it later.

"I still say you're crazy. Even I wouldn't wanna get near that guy."

"Then just go home with your tail between your legs. I'm not asking you to hold my hand here or get yourself involved in my affairs." Whoosh. Just like that Weiss was gone. Over a growl he would watch her back fade into the forest beyond before turning around. Fair point she made there. Wasn't his problem. All Raven asked him to do was come take down one of the minotaurs so Weiss wouldn't get herself killed trying to do it herself. Not like he had any personal motivations to go any further than that.

Which is why he cursed himself for turning back around a few minutes after he'd started walking away, bolting in the opposite direction. She'd never let him hear the end of it if she found out he ditched her in this place and the girl never came back.

...

...

As he made his way through the forest and towards the den of the minotaur tribe Rave started to notice a few things. Not that he could ignore them since they stuck out like flaming sore thumbs that were quite literally on fire except in this case they were more.. Freezing sore. Frozen solid. The way along to the warren was basically littered with various 'sculptures' of minotaurs encased in ice, no doubt the handiwork of the Schnee girl. That actually impressed him considering that in his eyes she looked like one of those spoiled princesses one saw in movies. Then again he'd never seen her fight, only heard a few things here and there about the members of the Zahne family.

When he finally reached the entrance it was to the sight of yet another beast-kin becoming her next magical arts and crafts project, roaring as ice worked its way out from a frozen lance that had stuck into her back from the ground. Two others were heavily weighing their options, simply rushing in no longer one that was being considered after the third had already just demonstrated how badly that could turn out.

"Grrrah! What do you want, vermin?" One shouted, waving his great maul at her.

"What I want is to meet with your leader, Adam. I know he's here.." Weiss spat, looking down at them with disdain. Figuratively speaking. Even the shortest of their kind so far had been no less than seven feet tall.

"That is King Adam to you, bloody maggot spawn!

"Watch your tone, I might not leave you in one piece like I graciously have your fellows.."

That instantly shut him up and he would look over towards the other one, snorting and shaking his head. He really didn't want to be frozen period but still.. Against their better judgement the two put their weapons up and would turn to walk further inside the cave, indicating that she should follow. From behind the rocky outcropping he'd been leaning against to watch Rave stepped over to her, arms crossed with his sword dangling diagonally on a sling he'd tied around his chest.

"I recall someone telling me that they'd have to be quite insane to come here."

"Oh bite me lady. You owe me big time for this."

"I'm afraid I don't possess any currency but I just might have a bone I could throw you."

"I'd say I got one too but I don't go for pipsqueaks like you."

Thus began the start of a beautiful friendship as they and snipped at eachother. Together they followed after the minotaurs, delving further than either of them would have liked. Weiss herself was starting to think she was going to regret not simply taking the first blood sample she could have and ran. Why was she doing this again..? Her and Ruby's lives weren't worth fulfilling some petty vendetta..

There was no turning back now unless they wanted to run for their lives, pride withholding that option. She and Rave both earned disgusted and derogatory looks from the other beastmen dwelling in the den but their two escorts guaranteed none of them would do anything stupid too. The man was starting to think he smelled a trap when they finally breached a large opening in the tunnel, and what await them was something Weiss was both glad and afraid to see.

King Adam the Vengeful himself. Standing at around ten feet tall he didn't look like most of his brethren. For one his dress was different. Unlike the assorted fur, hide, leather, and cloth of their own outfits he wore a lot of bone armor over minimal decency covering hide. What it was made from the vampiress had no clue but it was compiled together from several different large creatures, bound around him with many leather straps and composed of shinguards, a chestplate, pauldrons, vambraces, and a skull mask shaped much like his own head. The upper half anyway. Being a minotaur he had cloven hooves and digitigrade legs, the shortest layer of fur covering them and a paintbrush style tail swishing about agitatedly as he looked down upon the two from on his earthy rock-carved throne bedecked with totems. His chest and arms had no such fur but were marked all around with red tribal tattoos, as was his his mask which had two holes for the long and imposing horns jutting from his bull-like head. Red tufts of fur topped it, the same color as his tail.

And from him exuded an air of dominance and might, one that put both Rave and Weiss on edge as they were beckoned to approach. There were several dozen.. At least twenty other minotaurs gathered in the room along the circular wall. Those weren't good odds.. Especially since the warchief sitting on his throne was clearly not pleased by the way he snorted and his muscles tightened.

"So.. A leech and a mutt, the next ones to come waltzing into my domain like they own the place.. I assume you have a very good reason for it since you're not still trying to kill the rest of my brethren." He spoke with ire unhidden and unbidden in his tone. Doing her best to swallow her nerves Weiss would nod and step forward.

"I do. He's simply a tagalong."

"Hey what-"

"I've come to make a request."

The king looked at her for several moments without saying anything before reaching up to scratch his chin, ears twitching.

"A request? Pah! What makes you think you have any right to do such a thing? Aside from what you've done, I've no reason to oblige a creature like you. Although.. Maybe if you can get on all fours and ask nicely.." The male spoke with what she felt was a condescending smirk. She know how to play his game and how to play him. After all they were such an easy species..

"Really now, and here I thought you'd be jumping at the chance to fight another Schnee."

This had Rave wide-eyed and a wave of voices started up as the minotaurs started suddenly speaking amongst themselves. A Schnee? Weren't they a royal vampire family over in Atlas? One of the few known in any degree to the public, though some of their members never revealed themselves as such. The discussion was reaching a loud crescendo when King Adam slammed his fist on the arm of his throne and called for silence, leaning forward and narrowing his gaze at Weiss.

"Schnee.. The audacity.. How DARE you set one foot inside my home! I blatantly refuse whatever it is that you seek. Consider yourself graced by the spirits that I have been in quite the good mood lately and might consider letting you leave alive if you beg for your pathetic life."

"What I request is a duel. One on one. You and I, and nobody else." She responded, crossing her arms and awaiting his answer. Which she knew already what it was going to be before she even asked. She could practically hear the cogs whirring in his head. They clicked rather swiftly and before she knew it he was up off of his seat and pulling a ridiculously huge tower sword from behind it, the handle thick enough to bludgeon a man to death and the blade even bigger than the one on Rave's own sword. It gleamed, shining red from being made of an almost translucent red crystal and thrummed with a mystic power as he drug it on the way to them. The weredog took a few cautious steps back as Adam approached. Weiss herself was internally screaming and sweating bullets, looking up at the incredibly muscular and fearsome beastman but she didn't back down. To some very little degree he admired that, and chuckled hoarsely as he in turn looked down at her.

"..Hh. I've no time to waste dirtying my hands with a brat. You wouldn't even be entertainment." Crud. That was something else she considered but she didn't think he'd really take that option. The minotaur king turned, walking away with a snort as he raised his free hand up and clenched it. All of a sudden there was another chorus, bellows and grunts coming from every direction as the horde dug their hooves into the ground and shook/lowered their heads like they were about to charge. Weapons were drawn and raised, Rave spinning around and holding his sword up at an angle.

"Well it was nice knowin' ya. Hope you know how to throw down."

"Don't be so dramatic.. Just watch."

As they started to advance, some barreling down recklessly and some simply running Weiss held up her palm and took a deep breath. Both eyes were closed before she placed it over the black and red one, holding her head and wincing as magic power began to surge around her. Then her other eye opened and Rave would swear it was actually _glowing.._ And then it released.

A deathly cold chill erupted from her being in every direction, expanding outwards to fill the room as ice began to grow in its wake. The floor, the walls, the ceiling, everything was coated in a layer of frost no less than two or three inches thick. As it swept over the charging beasts they too were instantly coated in ice, affixed where and how they stood. Even the great King Adam felt the icy wave as it washed over his back, a simple flex breaking the layers before they could fully form. He spun back around with a furious roar, his weapon leaving a gash in the newly formed ice floor as it came around with him.

"You.. I will utterly destroy you for this transgression! I'll leave not even your cursed ashes behind!"

"Hey uh.. He looks kinda mad."

"Oh.. You don't say..?"

Rave caught her as she stumbled backwards, her eye back to normal and the other open again as she tried to catch her breath. What the Hell was _that_? More importantly could she do it again? It seemed not as she was struggling to stay awake just after using it.

"Don't go dying on me now. Or- Oh crap here he comes!" The man reached up for his weapon's hilt just as shadows rose to swallow them, pulling them down and slipping underneath behind the warchief as his sword came up and over to smash into the area they'd just been standing. It split, chunks of ice flying everywhere from the impact.

"Grr.. Despicable wretch. You won't leave here alive!" Something was taken from his belt, some kind of horn that he blew for several seconds. Runes writ across the instrument glowed and then suddenly a widespread series of sigils inscribed into the surfaces underneath the ice all began to do the same.

"No.. A barrier.." Weiss gasped, her eyes widening.

"A- We're stuck here!?"

"I'll meet your challenge, Schnee welp! The mutt as well, it makes no difference!"

The vampiress forced herself to stand, pushing away from Rave as they both jumped aside. Otherwise they would have been utterly obliterated by the flying sword that was thrown their way. He actually threw it and with precision, the wind coming off it brushing over them as it whistled pass and smashed into the wall before falling by the throne.

As Rave took a stance with his blade held up out in front of him at an angle, Weiss looked around. The exit, even though it was clearly not blocked off, she could tell they wouldn't be passing it. Not without breaking the enchantment on the room. The only way they'd be doing that.. Well she wasn't exactly a mage of that field of study. The only way was to kill the enraged warchief. It seemed despite Graham's warnings they were going to have to battle him anyway.

She was really starting to regret letting her distaste for the male get the better of her but right now her entire focus was being shifted towards how to defeat the barbarous bull-man in front of them. Charging straight for Rave he attempted to run him right over, the weredog having none of it as he tried to take him down at the legs with a horizontal cleave. For his bulk and size Adam was surprisingly fast and because of its width got an easy catch on the flat side with his hoof, shoving it to the ground before it could connect. Then he punched him across the room and into the wall, leaving a nicely large crater in the ice as the man hit the floor.

"..Weak. This blade however.. I must concede you've a respectable amount of strength to wield such a fine weapon. Not that it will do you any good." Again he charged, again Rave was up to meet him before something tripped him by tugging on his ankle. Both of the minotaur's fists came down into the wall where his head had been a moment prior, showering them both with cold fragments and breaking all the way through to the rock behind it. Rave then lashed out with both legs, shoving him back with a kick to the stomach before hopping up and trucking into him. ..Except while he boasted a comparable amount of strength that the king still yet outmatched him on, the king was also a _lot_ heavier. Thus he didn't even budge and would grab the weredog male before slinging him back and forth into the floor by his leg, tossing back clear across the room where he slid to a stop at Weiss' feet.

"Are you quite done?" The princess asked, leaning over and looking down at him with her arms still crossed.

"Bite.. Me.. Kid.."

"With your permission. I can try one more thing before we run out of options. Well.. I run out of options. You're free to continue trying to wrestle that monstrosity."

"Uh.. ..." That had been a joke and she took it seriously. It was common knowledge however that vampires got a temporary boost to their powers and abilities when they fed, but.. "You sure you wanna do that? I don't think he's gonna let us catch a break."

"I'll take care of that. Now hold still."

They both glanced to the side as they heard another mighty roar as well as the grinding of crystal on ice. Adam had retrieved his huge sword and was charging as fast as he could, dragging it along and slowly raising it for an attack. Weiss suddenly lifted her hand, palm out, and then clenched it as she punched the floor. Rapidly a dome of ice grew around the two of them and long pikes would jut from the outside, shorter barbed spearheads dotting in between them like some kind of barbed bunker. Letting out a derisive snort the minotaur king gave it one good whack with the flat side of his blade, breaking off a few before reaching back with it. Red sparks began to dance across its great surface..

...

"H-Hurry up and get this over this."

"Not embarrassed, are you Mr. Pitch? It's not like I'm doing this because I want to, in fact I might just get sick and die from whatever you might have rolled around in last."

"Seriously, hurry up dammit!" *crunch* The whole dome shook and a few cracks could be seen from the inside. Taking a breath Weiss would kneel down, grabbing his shoulders and burying her fangs into his neck. He let out a groan that she really wouldn't have minded not ever hearing as she started to feed, taking in his blood as fast as possible. It.. Wasn't actually all that terrible. In fact it was quite hearty, as if one were eating a juicy steak. Of course it wasn't as good as Ruby's had been but it was up there. Though she'd take that little opinion to the grave. Her power was returning, enough for what she planned to do and just that. If not.. Well she didn't want to think about the consequences.

...

"Come out.. Come out and face me! Or do you feel content to hide in your little hole like some kind of insect? I'll gladly crush you like one if that's what you prefer!" Adam roared. He lifted his sword up high for another empowered smash from its broadside and had almost connected when the dome exploded in his face, forcing him back a few paces to brush embedded shards from where they had managed to reach through his armor and exposed flesh.

What started to emerge from within brought a chill up his spine. It was dark, twisted, unholy. Something that had once been Weiss Schnee and was now a stretching gaunt figure with blackened skin and glowing red eyes. She didn't seem to be wearing anything but the darkness covered her like a second skin, white spikes, claws, teeth, and bones all visible as she rose. Ten.. Fifteen.. Twenty.. She/It was starting to dwarf him, long spine-like claws long as his arms flicking and twitching as it let out a blood-curdling gurgle. Like some kind of ghostly baby. Long white hair billowed in the release of a constant force as her mouth opened wide, wider than should be normal and she let out a haunting scream that chilled him to the core. Even Rave, her ally, was looking at her like she became a possessed demon and in appearance that was somewhat of a good comparison. As Weiss started to descend on the shaking minotaur both sets of claws reached out, the tips edging closer to him..

*SLAM*

His fist came flying up, striking right below the center of the horrifying figure and sending something crashing into the ceiling before dropping to the ice with a crunch. The once hideous apparition then faded away like smoke as the shadow magic dissipated.

"Insolent. You forget I have faced the Schnees before and lived to tell the tale! I know of your ice magic and your shadow weaving.. My heart beats with a fury too hot to freeze! I do not feel fear, I instill it! Remember this in whatever Hell you go to when I take your head!

Adam had just about to chop Weiss in half as she lay on the ground, cradling her bloody jaw and silently lamenting what felt like a missing fang or two when something cold and sharp pierced his side and threw off his aim. "Well that didn't friggin' work! Any more tricks you can pull out of your magic hat princess?" Rave yelled sarcastically, wrenching free the still mostly intact ice spear and again trying to stab the minotaur king with it.

"Ooouuch.. I'm going to feel that for awhile. Damn.. Damn it! What else can I do?!" Weiss yelled at herself, still holding her head as she staggered to her feet. Her temporary partner was doing his best to keep the beastman occupied with a handful of makeshift spears before he drew his attention and ran to go get his own sword back. There was a sharp pain in her side and she clutched it, feeling something amiss there. Broken bones? No, that wasn't- The box. The one Graham had given her. The emergency use item. He'd said to only use it if absolutely necessary and there seemed like no greater time than the present. Quickly taking out the now somewhat concaved container she pulled it open, raising an eyebrow at the contents when they were exposed. A..

A set of fangs? Gleaming white hollow fangs. More like dentures for a creature wanting sharp teeth. If it was a relic of the Zahne family perhaps it belonged to a member so old their own teeth fell out from sheer age? ..Ew. They looked and smelled clean though. She hoped Graham wasn't pulling her leg here. Carefully Weiss slipped them over her own and pressed them down. At that moment her entire world turned to one of pure pain.

...

Their blades clashed, sparks bouncing off with every strike as Rave stared down- Err up the minotaur king. Both of them refused to fall, growling and glaring daggers at eachother as they stepped back and swung to lock together again.

"What is a mere mutt against the power of the mighty bull? Surrender, and I'll consider sparing your life. The girl however is forfeit."

"Sorry, not my style. I ain't gettin' my ass kicked by a fat cow like you."

Adam's eye twitched in irritation behind his mask as he snorted, pushing down against the weredog when suddenly there was an explosion of power that threw them both to the ground. Their weapons went flying. Rave was first to his feet as the bull-man kept rolling, so he was first to see just where the blast had originated from.

What he was about to witness would be even more terrifying than what he'd seen earlier.

Like some kind of morbid pulsating cocoon darkness ensorcelled her entire being, wrapping it and hiding it from view before it began to rise into the air. The unholy energies it was letting off froze him and King Adam to the core, forcing them both to take a shaky step back as it began to tear. Something that could only be described as unadulterated malevolence could be glimpsed within before the shell started to break. In a violent burst it tore open, four great wings dark as the void flapping out as dark winds swirled around the one they were attached to.

Her fangs were longer now, expression twisted grotesquely as both eyes sought out her prey. Gone were the colors, the only thing remaining an infinite darkness in the sockets that formed crack-like designs in the skin around them. Like spiderwebs they grew across the rest of it making her skin onyx colored, claws growing out in the shape of deadly sickles both outward and up to the first joint. Her quartet of bat wings had white slash marks across the membranes, piercing eyes adorning the back like some kind of moth.

Such was the all-consuming terror her mere visage inspired neither of the two males could even move, let alone the fact that her tremendous power had them practically glued to the ground. Slowly her knees curled up and her arms drew in.. Wings pulled together slightly.. Then she screamed, spreading her limbs and wings out to their fullest extent. Her voice was like a banshee's and the resulting shockwave sundered the ice and ripped it from the earth as raw hatred disintegrated not only what was left but also the collection of bull statues littering the room. Rave and Adam clutched their heads, covering their ears as waves of magic followed and once again put them back down on the dirt.

Weiss would loftily lower to the ground, not quite touching it as she hovered about a foot over. Crackling and flexing, her razor sharp sickle-tipped fingers were itching to dig into something's flesh and right now there was a big red target painted dead center in her field of view. As Rave tried in futility to get back up his vision started to fade. It was too much. The sheer magnitude of the vampiress' current power was overwhelming. Even suffocating.

His last few seconds of consciousness were of Weiss' hideous lashing talons, shadows trailing in the wake of those scythe nails as they blurred back and forth. King Adam's body being brutally shredded into blood and gore was the last thing he saw before blacking out.

...

...

...

"*gasp* *huff* *huff*"

Weiss blinked. What.. What just happened? The last thing she knew she had put on those vampire fangs and there was a stabbing pain in her center, then.. Nothing but feelings of anger and rage. Oh gods what was that sme- Blood. Blood. It was _everywhere._ All over her clothes, her face, her arms.. She was absolutely drenched in the stuff. Was any of it hers? A short sniff said otherwise. Wait. The dog man. Where was he? Where was King Adam?

The latter was accounted for, his crystal blade broken into pieces and his body reduced to nothing but bones and the back half. The front had been grinded away as if on a whetstone wheel, deep gouges in most places running all the way through his dense muscle tissue and straight into the skeleton even. The former.. He was laying on his front, unconscious but otherwise alive. ..Great. Well she already reneged on her statement of not staying to fight and if he didn't wake up soon she was going to seriously carry him out. She disliked him but she didn't hate him, and abandoning someone who had tried to help her without standing to gain anything for doing so wouldn't sit well on her conscience. Though if she were the old Weiss Schnee..

But first, the blood. Where was the- Oh right. The vampiress mustered up a little bit of power to extend her shadow, dropping the precious if a bit unnerving flask into her palm. Then she'd kneel by King Adam's bloody corpse, popping the cork and getting ready to drain some of the crimson liquid into it. She almost jumped when the flask's mouth seemed to move and like a red wispy smoke blood started to suck into it. 'Really.. Really disturbing' Weiss thought to herself.

It filled rather quickly and as soon as it stopped drinking the topper was put firmly back into place. Finally.. The last objective was complete. Now to go pick up the weredog male and his stupid overcompensating sword.. Weiss stumbled a bit, her legs feeling weak. Really her entire body felt drained. What on earth WAS that thing? Some kind of enchanted accessory? Speaking of enchantments the barrier was gone along with all of the ice so that was one more obstacle out of the way. Slowly but surely she made her way to Rave, her breathing a bit ragged and her eyes half-lidded.

They shot open wide when another dark presence entered the room. Something foul, something malignant and demonic. In her weakened state she was too slow to catch whoever it was as they put an arm around her collar and neck, the other squeezing her wrist so hard she felt it might break. The flask fell to the floor, thankfully not shattering and instead bouncing.

She struggled, despite her condition. The person that had a hold of her though was simply much too strong and in much better condition than she. Her heart was racing, fear coursing through like a river as shadows flicked at her feet. There just wasn't enough power for her to stop her assailant. Only one last thing she could think of to escape if she predicted right, an icy wind flowing around her upper body putting a cold chill over both her and the one holding her. Weiss was too late to attack. With one swift violent motion the hand on her wrist came up to her chin, the other shifting. With a sickening crack her head was twisted aside, body being dropped like dead weight to the floor. The vampiress didn't move. Her eyes glazed over and became pale as the male leaned down and picked up the flask of minotaur blood. Then they looked over her before tsk'ing.

"Natasha has obtained the girl's phylactery and the Ice Tyrant's daughter is disposed of.. All according to plan. Another silver eyed lineage comes to an end, and soon, the entire race.. Lord Vortogk will be most pleased.."

The false priest stowed the flask into his robe with a solemn nod, leaning down to close Weiss' eyelids. ..Something was eating at him but he wasn't sure what. He supposed it didn't matter. Slowly he turned and began to walk towards the exit of the late minotaur king's hall, leaving to report to his master.

...

*constant Chrome crashing when I try to put a divider line here maybe it's a length issue*

...

 _Aw gee darn it Weiss is 'dead'. Such a shame. She had a good unlife ahead of her. Plus she was only two days away from retirement. And she had a girl back home she was gonna see after her service was over.. Oh and like, she was gonna buy a house and get a dog and a car.. Pay off the mortgage.._

 _In all seriousness, eurgh. That hurt to write. Plus Ruby's soul is in peril. The bad guys are winning and there just doesn't seem to be any hope in sight for the good guys! People are dying! Evil is spreading! ..Sound familiar? 'Cause that's what's happening on the show. Also if you guys didn't know, October 22nd is the new volume premiere! GIT HYPED. Also also, anybody keeping up with the RWBY manga? Or RWBY Chibi? Both are kinda amazing and if you don't know of either, check 'em out._

 _Sokay, lots of bad stuff happening but things will get better! Promise! You just have to stick with it. I mean if everybody who got upset when (censored for spoilers) died quit watching RWBY there'd be like no fanbase anymore. Although we miss 'em, and I know what they 'said' ('they' also said Neo has a voice actress but aside from a few noises (Metroid Prime style?) she has had no actual lines of dialogue and it'd be wierd to have her speak now) but I'm holding out hope they'll come back somehow. (censored once more) is a (beep boop) so they can probably do something there, and (whoopsie) was one of my favorites but I don't see any major reason to bring them back, even though it'd be cool. That said I will do the happy no pants dance if (hello again!) returns. ..Mah feels, bruh. Mah feels.._

 _Inspectre Offline._


	12. Light Arises

_Inspectre Online._

 _ERMAHGERBIL yet ANOTHER chapter? Yep. It's not as long as the last one and I had more time on my hands than I thought so yeah._

 _Oh ye of little faith you wound me. I know someone unfollowed.. But oh well, your call. I woulda had 120 follows by now though if you hadn't, meanie. *pout*_

 _Better than what could have happened. Every time I post a chapter and then disappear for a bit, when I come back to check the numbers and reviews I always get some kind of nervous.. Everyone has pretty much liked all my work so far so I think it's just anticipation jitters. Kinda worries me I haven't had some jag just come along flaming/trolling me yet. I'm either a good writer or still under the radar.. Either way, I appreciate you guys for tagging along!_

 _For those still around, congratulations! This story has now become my new best seller, beating out Grapefruit and Icecream in just about every field! Also it's raining like panthers and wolves out here. Maybe we'll close early and I can get some extra writing done._

 _By the way, listened to the Fright Song from Monster High for the first time a few days ago. Was on a list of songs a friend sent me to play on the ride. For what it is, catchy as heck._

 _Now to write on the reviews._

 _At Fate-chan2015: Forget hype train or even hype ship. This volume it's gonna be a HYPE CATTLEBRUISER. I mean battlecruiser. StarCraft thing._

 _At RealTerminal: Not to be confused with FakeTerminal or R34lT3rm1n4l? Yeah she tried that on those Greek goddesses along with decapitation. Didn't work so well. That said I am a big Buffy (and maybe a Sarah Michelle Gellar) fan. That scenario is explained in this chapter._

 _At Ralph: I find that hilarious._

 _..Oh don't get me wrong, I respect your opinion and I'm not bashing it. It's just that personally I LOVE the art style. It's so.. Unique. Something about it draws me in._

 _At Andilite: She's just a simple soul, maybe she can throw something at her? Possession in this AU at least.. It's not as simple as just popping inside and bodyjacking. Plus Natasha kinda sealed up the mirror. That said somethin's gonna happen. Heh, yeah. I always censor spoilers. Just in case out of respect for the readers._

 _At GrnDrgnzrd: Noooo I'm not! Just thought I'd throw in a dark twist, a little something to bate breaths. See you then! Oh wait, see you now!_

 _Today, two people passing by one of my rides recognized This Will Be The Day when it was playing on my Shrapnel. We talked about RWBY for a bit, that was fun. People have recognized me playing Fairy Tail music or my custom airbrush Fairy Tail/Sabertooth guild logos hoodie but that was a first. Also fuuuuuuuudge. This roulette wheel is gonna spin until I actually finish this thing and it gets locked in. Suddenly I'm feeling both my Advance Wars x RWBY crossover and another little Ladybug piece. I haven't done Ladybug yet.. Hrm. What to write next?_

 _So. Who's ready for this story to arc back towards a more positive light? I should just leave y'all in suspense for a week or two but eh, I'm not that gawdawful evil._

* * *

This was by far the worst hangover he ever awoke from. At least that's what it felt like. With a throbbing in his head he sat upright and felt around for his sword. Wasn't on his back or leaning against the bed next to him. Wait a minute.. This wasn't his bed. Too hard and too cold. Plus something totally reeked and it wasn't alcohol.

He came to full awareness when the overpowering stench of death and blood hit his rather sensitive nose, eyes widening in surprise. Was he in a cav- King Adam, Raven's call, the vampire girl, it all came back in a flash and as Rave looked ahead he was on his feet even quicker.

Weiss was laying on the ground, eyes closed and unmoving as someone in black robes began to walk away. Her body was so still he couldn't even tell if she was still breathing or not. It was easy to infer that she'd been killed by whoever that person was and with a defiant growl he shouted after them.

"HEY."

They paused. So it seemed the weredog still lived. Oh well, disposing of him would be a simple task the priest thought to himself as he put his hands together in prayer. Demonic essence issued forth from his being and spiraled around him, beginning to form another layer over it with the shape of horns and spikes beginning to mold.

"Why do I always get the freakjobs.." Run for his sword or try to handle this one as he was? Rave wasn't sure if either was a wise idea but he disliked the idea of taking his eyes from whatever that thing was more, even for a second or two.

"You should have stayed down, or perhaps avoided this place altogether. How unfortunate, but take solace in the fact I will guide your soul into the afterlife."

"Yeah I don't think so. Come and take it."

Oh the man planned to. As his body shifted to be more like that of a demon's yet another intruder warped into the room, dust twisting at their feet. This one smelled even more of death and decay than the minotaur king's carcass. Just.. What in the world _happened_ while he was out? Was that nightmarish image of Weiss real? She looked normal right now, if.. Immobile.

"Begone pest. I care not for who you are but you will be outclassed in this battle if you dare interfere. Flee while my mercy still extends." The priest said, his voice much deeper all of a sudden.

"..." Black and tattered robes began to billow madly as something was drawn from within, their shadow-concealed and hooded face barely lit by eyes that began to glow solid orange. With a swinging motion that object was left to hover in front of them and they knelt on both knees with both palms extended. At the same time the priest, who now towered above the other two individuals and sported black horns, claws, spikes, and wings of darkness on his ebon body would begin charging a crackling sphere of red and black demon energy. Rave hesitantly looked from him to the new arrival, slowly stepping backwards to try and get his weapon while they were drawing the false priest's attention.

A cross. That was what they withdrew. An equilateral cross with a ring forged around it and made of what looked like hardened black magma that was beginning to glow bright yellow and orange through cracks in the surface as the other robed one began to chant. A release of power nullified and broke apart that sphere as it was fired towards them, having no effect on whatever shimmering barrier suddenly surrounded the cross.

"No.. It cannot be..!"

"Through the endless void shines an eternal sun, permeating infinite darkness with the light to envelop worlds. I feel the force of the star of oblivion as it threatens to purge everything around me, and would command its purifying flames towards that which should not exist in this world! By holy fire be cleansed, spawn of evil!"

A small explosion blew chunks of rock off the cross as it cleared, underneath laying a gold-yellow surface that shone so bright it nearly blinded Rave. It certainly had an effect on the priest who began to yell out in pain and attempted to shield his eyes as his skin sizzled. This was no ordinary cross that much was evident. A small orb hovered between the pieces that formed the intersecting bars, the pieces themselves not actually connected to the center or the ring. Instead they floated around the orb in the semblance of its proper shape. As the chant continued it began to swell like a star going nova, increasing to the size of a large vehicle and rising into the air as the ring grew to accomodate it. The heat emanating was phenomenal yet despite feeling like he was being burned nothing happened to Rave's skin. The demon on the other hand..

"Your existence defiles the world around you, you condemn the fates of those around you, and by the power of this most holy relic your actions will be the demise of you! By the divine wrath of the Suncross be vanquished!"

The next thing he knew there was a big bang, a wide beam of flesh-searing light energy emitting from the starlike orb and encompassing the priest entirely. His being melted away and was vaporized in seconds with an earsplitting screech and as the light faded the cross came back together. With the mini-nova gone the pieces locked at the corners and black rock once more began to cover it. Tiny piece by tiny piece.

"..I wasn't even supposed to be here today.." Rave huffed, shaking his head. He didn't know _what_ he just witnessed or what he'd been dragged into. Slinging his blade over his back and strapping it down he cautiously stepped towards what he believed to be Weiss' dead body. She'd survived whatever the Hell that beam was though the ground along the way was darker than charcoal as was the wall it hit. The male himself felt fine aside from his skin feeling like it was on fire but it'd fade in time. "..Dammit kid. l told you not to come in here.. Now look what happened. How am I gonna tell Raven?"

"Such ignorance, or perhaps it's simply the.. Heat of the moment." The robed one spoke with a chuckle. Did (apparently he) think it was funny? Plucking the staked cross from the ground he'd glance towards Weiss before taking a step forward. He only got the one before she seized up and started coughing, rolling over and heaving.

"What-"

"Vampires explode into ashes when they die, fool. So context would indicate-"

The other male cut off as she then partially up, retching blood and small fragments of something pale blue.

"..I'm simply amazed you could think of something so radical so quickly, and I apologize for not arriving sooner Ms. Schnee. I'm even more astounded it actually worked. You were either very lucky or very perceptive. Perhaps both."

"The Hell just happened?" Rave asked, crouching beside her and assisting Weiss to her feet despite her objections and assertions she could do so herself. When she finally finished spitting out blood and pieces of ice the vampiress would explain.

"He snuck up on me.. I didn't have time to do anything else. If I hadn't been so exhausted I probably could have detected him."

"He was a servitor of the shadow demon Vortogk. It's no surprise."

"Who?" Weiss asked, looking confused.

"Everything will be explained later." The necromancer stated. "For now you must return to the castle and retrieve the phylactery. Er, the ice mirror housing that girl's soul. Graham as you know him believes he may have tried to send someone to infiltrate the Zahne family home and steal it. He already knew that Vortogk was having you followed."

"Grr.. Whoever this demon is I'll destroy him! He wouldn't happen to be connected to-"

"He is."

The princess snarled, clenching her fists. They relaxed quickly, oh gods how exhausted she was.. Rave kept an arm around her other shoulder so she wouldn't fall, again asking what happened to her.

"I used something that Graham fellow gave me. He said it was a relic that would help if I got into trouble."

"Sorry to say there was a mixup, he actually meant to give you the Suncross. Wouldn't have done nearly as much to the minotaur but it would have been enough to escape."

She simply blinked a few times before continuing.

"Well.. The next thing I knew, I just felt so.. Mad. Mad and hateful. All I saw was red and I think I passed out? Whatever I did it.. Worked." Weiss looked over at the leftovers of the minotaur king with a bit of disgust. "And when I came to, I collected the blood I needed and I was going to get Rave and leave but that person caught me from behind. Nearly broke my neck trying to kill me."

"So how did he.. Not?"

"Ice magic can be incredibly versatile in the hands of a proper user." Weiss stated matter-of-factly. "I made the assumption that they knew who and what I was, and knew cutting my throat would hardly be an effective way to kill me. Not even quickly. Therefore they'd try to snap my neck. I froze the blood in my carotid arteries and throat, and resisted just enough so that it'd seem believable when they did the deed. Though I'm surprised they didn't catch on."

"That is.. Ridiculously stupid, dangerous, implausible, I mean how did your neck not get diced up like a tomato?" Rave asked incredulously. She just shrugged. Lucky break? He shook his head.

"But all of that is irrelevant. I need to get home before this becomes too- Ah, wait.. No. Nononono where is-?!" Her sudden onset of panic was stopped when the robed necromancer procured the flask of minotaur blood, it somehow also having survived the nova of light. Whispering thanks as she clutched it tightly to her chest Weiss then separated from Rave and started running towards the exit of the den, leaving the other two males behind.

"... ..I'm going home, drinking a few, and going to bed. That woman's lucky I don't charge her for this crap."

 **...**

 ***at the bottom of Zahne castle, inside the courtyard***

 **...**

Oh how accomplished she felt. Killing one of the royals, even though she didn't think she'd ever get close enough to one, and some of their best guards in the process.. Plus she got the mirror her lord had been so interested in. The soul of a silver eyed warrior. Something so precious, undoubtedly Lord Vortogk would have naught but praise for her success.

That was the reason she was smiling so much but to the two dullahan knights at the gate she just seemed overtly friendly. Of course another vampire family wanting to open good relations with them would only send an ambassador with good disposition. It seemed that the assassination of the prince and his guards hadn't been discovered yet so she'd have an easy time out of the area before they went on the alert.

"Find everything alright ma'am?"

"Hm? O-Oh yes, it seems the masters are out so I'll have to come back another time."

"I see. Safe travels then."

The one on the outside bid her goodbye with a wave as she walked away, hips swaying left and right purposefully to tease him. His partner stared after her as well with his eyes transfixed on her back, watching her gradually become a speck in the distance. Then he turned his head slightly towards the other.

"You're such a hopeless fool.. She'd never even give you the time of day."

"Oh but I can dream." ... ..Silence, until he piped up with a sudden sternness to his voice. "We both know that was a bold-faced lie right? One of the exalts is always in attendance if no others are present."

"I sought them out as soon as she left my sight."

... ... They both disappeared with miniature sonic booms, tearing up the barren wasteland at top speed while drawing their blades and leaving black arcs in their wake.

'And I was so close' Natasha thought to herself, feeling two incoming undead presences. Compared to the trio from before they were hardly a threat, but taking care of them had been a viciously close encounter that left no question as to why her lord tiptoed carefully when dealing with the family. She was out in the open this time however and could go at full power, instead of limiting herself so she wouldn't be exposed in the center of enemy territory.

As they closed in she swung around, purple flames coming out in a stream like a flamethrower from her mouth. It was to her great surprise and shock when they both cleaved right through and nearly cut into her face. If she hadn't been pushed back by the force of the expulsion they just might have ended things there and then. A second blast was released, detonating and leaving a crater where they once stood. The knights themselves were hunched behind their shields which took the full brunt of the attack, showing not a scuff or scar even though they'd been sent skidding backwards about twenty feet or so.

"I don't know if you believe in prayers, witch, but you won't have long to say them."

"Ooh I'm shivering. **Let's dance, boys."**

Looking over their shields the males stared her down, spinning their swords in hand and ready to charge when something crashed into the ground between them kicking up a cloud of dust. Some kind of large obsidian arrowhead..? Except that 'arrowhead' would start to unravel, the tip revealed to be the standing point of a vampire and the rest of it simply formed from a dark cape. Natasha couldn't believe it but there he was, Mr. Prince Charming.

"Prince Loue!"

"You.. How?!"

"We're not nearly as stupid or as oblivious as you seem to think we are. Good work in finding my brother, I'll handle things from here." The silver haired boy said with a smirk as he ran his hand over his head. Hadn't she paralyzed him with a lethal agent painted onto her nails? As if thinking perhaps she'd not put enough on while she glanced down at them Loue began to laugh. "Panthyx hairs steeped in machias oil. Makes a great cure for invasive toxins. It even stays in your system. Long enough that you'd be safe for a day if you're expecting to be poisoned."

"Conceited brat.."

"I've been called worse." He said with a shrug, folding his arms. "Now hand over that mirror. I'll think about letting you go if you behave. Would be a shame to kill such a pretty lady."

Said pretty lady would hiss, brandishing her claws and drawing a dagger from a sheath hidden underneath one of her sleeves. In the other hand a whip made of what looked like the same purple fire was woven into its clutch, cracking at his feet and leaving lilac embers to scatter. The two dullahans went to intercept her but a motion from the prince held them at bay.

"Oh how I knew you were bad news when I first laid eyes upon you. Still even with that face you're not nearly as intimidating as my sister-in-law. If she were present I'm sure you'd be disposed of without a problem but I suppose that task falls to me.."

"Prince Loue, we-"

"I have this under control. Do me a favor and go find Commander Durandal. I need to speak with him later."

"Don't treat me like some kind of inconvenience!" Natasha shouted, bringing down the whip towards him. It struck only empty space as he nearly phased aside with a chuckle. Obeying orders with the intention to return as soon as they were carried out the knights headed back towards the castle, leaving him and the wrathful vampiress to their duel. Whom he would swear was touched by something demonic for those weren't ordinary vampire powers..

"Alright then.. If you think you can contest a member of the Zahne family on equal ground then give me your best shot."

She obliged with both a scream and a frenzied flurry of whiplashes, each one being redacted by a snap of the fingers that resulted in a small blast of black fire blowing it away every time it came back. The battle was on, both fighters determined to not just win but survive.

It was a fierce one at that lasting several minutes, yet despite her fatigue at having to fight the three headless paladins Natasha started to gain the advantage. Her frenetic attacks kept catching Loue off guard with their unpredictability, culminating in his apparent defeat when she managed to bind that searing hot whip around his body and yank him off his feet. In an instant she was upon him and her spiteful eyes bored into his darkened spheres.

"Ha.. So you do have experience.. Unlucky you, you should have kept your dogs here. They might have allowed you to survive a little longer."

"Ngh. Blast it, I suppose you've bested me. Going to finish me off now I take it?" Loue asked with a grimace. The vampire woman wordlessly flashed him that same old cheerful smile as she raised her dagger high. Now she was going to make sure the brat died for good this time..

That short blade had reached the peak of where it would be lifted before almost coming down, halting at a single word uttered from its would be target.

"Umbraeolg."

Much in the same manner as her own whip, solid black fire consumed the two of them and would wrap around Natasha like a giant clawed hand, applying a great deal of pressure and heat. The desired results being that it would crush her and incinerate the remains but the actual results being an uncomfortably tight squeeze and a hot sensation akin to staring at the sun.

"Heh.. Haha! Out of stamina already are we? Paltry, this magic could barely be enough to hold me for a moment let alone stop me." The woman cackled, her arm still free to move somewhat as she tried to force the burning hand off with it to where she could stab Loue in the chest. Her ever sickly sweet smile remained that way until he spoke again. Something about it being 'all he needed it to do', and that was cue enough for her to realize she'd fallen into a trap.

It wasn't until the echoing gunshot went off and the few seconds it took for a sacred silver bullet to reach from the top of the Zahne castle to her head later that she finally knew she'd been bested. As her form exploded into ashes and her magic dispelled, the prince was free to stand up and brush himself off while cursing about his clothes being befouled. Off in the great distance he could tell his older brother was engraving another notch into the barrel of that antique long rifle of his..

Also off in the great distance except in the opposite direction he could tell his other sister-in-law was approaching at incredible speed. How convenient he thought to himself, shaking evil-tainted ashes from the ice mirror that Natasha had been carrying. So this was the thing they sought? For some reason there was a magic cast on it to seal it likely by the woman's doing, though to him it'd be mere child's play to bust it.

So that's what he did, figuring there was no harm. As soon as he did so Loue immediately noticed someone else's face was looking back at him rather than his own. He also felt an ethereal presence within it. Clicking two and two together was easy enough but four and four wouldn't come until the girl spoke.

 _"Ah! W-Weiss! Is that y- Who are you..?"_

That rather cute face and what he'd swear was the shine of silver in her eyes.. This couldn't be _her_ could it? The one that Weiss supposedly fell in love with before she was killed by vampires?

"Oh _my_ I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you before.. You wouldn't happen to be Ruby would you?"

Ruby said nothing and just nervously eyed the boy from inside her mirror. He was a vampire too but being unable to see outside it when it was locked away she wasn't sure if she could trust him. For all she knew he could be another Crossbreaker.

"Don't fret, I know Weiss. She's part of my family. I know you might not like our kind given your history and the ordeals you went through but I assure you I'm one of the good ones. Er.. Well I'm on your side at the least. My name is Loue, and I believe you're the little red rose my sister-in-law spoke of. Hmhm.."

She looked a little surprised. Perhaps this guy wasn't so bad. Then again vampires were also notorious for their seduction and deception skills. Unfortunately whether she believed him or not it wasn't like she was capable of doing anything from where she was at. Leaving the mirror which would have been easy before it had been sealed would put her in greater danger anyway.

"Oh come now don't give me that look. I promise I've no ill intentions. If you'd like I'll simply return you to Weiss' room where you belong. Although.. I am very, very curious as to what she's doing holding your soul in a hand-made case like this. I heard about your death but I would have thought you passed on by then. Care- Oh there she is now."

Both of them turned their heads, the prince adjusting the mirror so Ruby could see in that direction as a shadowy shape descended from the sky and skid to a halt a few yards from them. A most welcome shape for one. _"WEISS."_

"Ruby! What are you- Loue! Listen, there.. Umm.. I suppose they've been dealt with." The vampiress noted, smelling and seeing the blackened tainted ashes leftover on his clothes and on the ground next to a small dagger.

"Oh we were ready for them. One of those strange necromancer fellows came to my father and told him to be on the lookout for suspicious characters coming to the castle. After my brother was contacted by one of the entrance guards about his skepticisms of a lady that entered we set a plan into action. I was to bait them and Verdreh would watch out in case I failed." Loue explained with a bit of a smug smile. Weiss on the other hand sported a much more nervous one as she realized he was holding the ever crucial ice mirror.. "Almost made off with this beautiful little thing here."

"I-I can explain. See.. Er, that is- I.. The mirror.."

"No need. I understand your emotional attachment. I was talking about the one inside it by the way." He clarified, holding up the object. "You've the same taste in women I do I see. I'm sure she'll grow up with that same girlish cuteness. Well, would. I do apologize that was careless and insensitive of me."

His comment had both females blushing and with a curse muttered under her breath she snatched it from him, placing her fingertips on the surface as if to caress Ruby's cheek. Hopefully she'd be able to do that in reality soon enough.. Ruby smiled at her, giving her a quiet _'I missed you'_. Weiss nodded and said the same back before placing a kiss to the mirror's surface, a chaste one where her cheek was. Though the ghost girl couldn't feel it the sentiment was taken to heart and she beamed.

"Loue, I promise I will explain at some point but for right now there's somewhere I have to be. There's something bigger going on." Weiss looked up, her tone entirely serious. Both his own and his expression would match it as he crossed his arms.

"I know. YOUR father has been bringing that point to the attention of the other Zahnes ever since that girl was attacked. Now it's undeniable. We still don't have solid proof to bring to the other Crossbreakers though. If we attack them on a whim and the remains of a single member we'll look as bad as the radicals for striking her family in the first place."

"They're being lead by a demon. An actual demon. This whole thing is because he has something against people with silver eyes."

"SIlver eyes?" The prince perked an eyebrow. "It's just a rare genetic trait."

 _"Yeah, that's what my mom always told me. What's his deal?"_ Ruby exclaimed.

"I think we both wish we knew Ruby. Now.. Let's go." Weiss bolted past Loue, causing him to spin and watch her go. He sported a rather amused grin and with a short hop and a puff of white smoke shifted into his four winged white bat form, flying towards the top of the castle.

 **...**

 ***several minutes later on the way to Graham's reliquary***

 **...**

She was used to it by now. Ruby.. Not so much. The strange way their surroundings practically melted away still unnerved her but in Weiss' hands she felt like she couldn't be safer, or more at ease. It helped when the legions of the dead filled her view, back in the eery and unsettling death world that was Reaper's Escape. That evergreen moon still hung in the sky, shining through the clouds over all who shambled, walked, crawled, or limped along the landscape.

"You ready for this Ruby?" Weiss asked, holding the ice mirror tightly. There would be no going back once the deed was done, if it was a success. Again receiving a determined nod she then started for Graham's underground altar. Her path was waylaid however by one of the many cloaked figures in ancient robes milling about the place.

"He wishes to see you now. The preparations are complete."

"I was just on my way."

The tall figure hindered her no longer and moved aside, allowing her entry to the entrance. Ruby's unease was still apparent but eased by an assurance that this would be the last time they had to come to this dark land.

The two made their way down the blue hallway, coming to find the altar room a bit different than it was before. Scratch that. A _lot_ different.

The altar itself was now upright, innumerable runes and glyphs etched into the ground around it. The bases of those five tall candlesticks with red flamed candles were worked into its design, the lines between them forming a pentagram inside that was almost alit with power. Eleven robed necromancers were positioned at the outside, the 6-o'clock space (being the one closest to the entrance) reserved for someone else. What left the females speechless though was not Graham who stood off to the side holding a thick dusty black tome with the design of a red one-eyed skull, nor the gathered congregation chanting lowly almost under their breath. No, what it was was the body bound to the altar facing them.

Its eyes were open, a dull gray underneath black locks that around the rest of its head came down to its shoulders. It wasn't very tall but it had flawless skin, quite feminine and charming features, and stood around 5 and a half feet tall or so. From the way its mouth was slightly open sharp teeth could be seen. They were akin to a vampire's but only subtly so, as were the triangular pointed claws on its hands. The body itself was dressed already in black thigh high stockings, black boots, a plaid miniskirt, a white shirt with most of the buttons done up, and a red bow in its hair on one side.

Essentially it was Ruby Rose. Sure the clothes were much different and neither of them were too sure of the Catholic schoolgirl style but everything else.. The shape, the size, the features, everything was the same. Sans the teeth and claws. Were her eyes more filled with life they'd probably be the same silver color too. The lifeless body even smelled the same and Weiss could already detect the scent of her blood coursing through its veins..

Needless to say the sight jarred both of them and Graham would have their attention with a clacking clap of his more normal count of two hands.

"I-I.. I'm sorry, I had to compose myself. This.. It's perfect. It's her."

"I took tremendous and painstaking care to recreate her as best I could, which is to say it should be perfect. Inside and out. I wasn't sure what manners of style she was into so I chose to wing it."

"Incredible.. Wait. You.. You d-dressed her." Weiss asked.

"I had one of my female cultists do so but come now Ms. Schnee, I quite literally built her from cells to bone and muscle tissue to flesh. Plus I have been doing this for countless ages. She possesses nothing I haven't nor wouldn't see."

She declined to delve any further into that subject and would procure the flask of minotaur blood for the lich. Instead of coming to get it the item flew to his other hand by an unseen force, the cork popped and the opening aimed towards Ruby's body. Again like wispy red smoke it flowed from the container into her mouth, distributing throughout her form. They both watched as suddenly what looked like muscles bulged on various places in the process. They weren't unsightly, in fact they weren't even defined, but they were noticeable. Perhaps to make her undead wight body stronger. That was a good thing in Weiss' opinion.

"And thus the vessel is complete.. Are the two of you ready? Prepared in both mind and body for what must be done?" Graham asked, his voice echoing slightly with magic power and his eye sockets suddenly flashing with green. Here it was.. The grand moment. The one Weiss had been fighting to come to for some time now. Yet if Ruby wanted to back out now or wait then she'd accept it. Thankfully the girl put on her bravest face and said _'yes'_ as well.

With a hallow chuckling he stepped into the single opening of the circled mass, gesturing towards Weiss.

"Let the resurrection ritual commence.."

* * *

 _So yeah you guys aren't stuck on a cliffhanger. You're welcome! 'Cause who knows how long it could be before I find internets again._

 _See? Everything worked out. Natasha bit the bullet and the mirror is back in good hands. Plus we killed off that freaky evil priest guy. If anybody got the reference which I kinda admit is a bit out there, the Suncross is a reference to the Amon Amarth song, 'Friends of the Suncross'. Great song if you know the lyrics. It's also in this story a holy relic so naturally it'd obliterate that guy. Against King Adam it probably woulda just blinded him and gave him 3rd degree burns. Also if anyone wants to question how a necromancer can wield/utilize something like that, it's the same reason a supposed priest can hold demonic essence and still wield a cross to do something like say exorcise a ghost. Demonic powers and the art of necromancy while leaning towards a darker nature and more popularized as 'evil' arts are really just that. Dark. Dark is not inherently evil, same with light. Also same thing with a sword or gun, it's how and why it's used. Course we could start a whole tangent on the ideals of moral good and evil but this isn't Philosophy 101 so_

 _Anyway dunno when I'll see another chapter uploaded here but next up is the day everyone's been waiting for!_

 _Inspectre Offline._


	13. Back In Black (and some red)

_Inspectre Online_

 _Howdy y'all! Comin' straight outta Tennessee with another chapter I reckon. Though I'm actually from Georgia. Just feels good to be in the south again._

 _Actually in Lebanon, Tennessee as of writing this. Hasn't changed much. Still humid and hot, and crazy rainy when it rains. Been cloudy most of the weekend though so I'm thankful for that. And I have wifi here! It's just.. An hour or so away. Right next to Gamestop though~ I can't WAIT to get my hands on the Odin Sphere remake for the Vita. First Muramasa and now this? *heavenly chord sound effect*_

 _Edit: Captain's log, stardate Aug-20-2016. And I thought space typhoons were bad. We got a hurty ass beater of a storm Saturday. Cheesus crust.._

 _Double Edit: Captain's log, stardate like.. Whatever two days ago was. Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir is AMAZING. I mean it's an Atlus game and everything Atlus makes is A++++ but good lord. They outdid themselves. It looks stellar too. Whoever was in the graphics/animations departments for that and Muramasa deserves a gold medal, a pat on the back and possibly a back massage, and a diamond encrusted horse._

 _We're getting close to the end of this story guys. I figure another.. Including this one, 4-5 chapters? Might be a mini-epilogue and then just for kicks and giggles, an M-rated extra. In a separate fic of course. Who really is Graham? Is Ruby's resurrection going to succeed? What's the deal with her silver eyes and this Archangel's Bane? What about Vortogk and his vendetta against the silver eyed ones? What's that about? Find out all this and more on the next episode(s) of Red Snow!_

 _But first reviews._

 _At Legolas Dragon Ranger: ... *flags her for spam and moves on* *not*_

 _We don't know Mr. Schnee's name but I'm about as positive as a germ killer, somewhere around 99.99%, that we'll discover it in Volume 4. Also, what about Weiss' MOM. What was her place in everything? Or is Weiss also like Lucy in that regard and she's- Oh crap I might have some catching up Fairy Tail readers/watchers in here, never mind._

 _It was? Guess I did something right._

 _No biggee, although you're right to suspect Graham he's not exactly what you might be thinking. You did get somewhere close though.._

 _Pfft there's only one Legolas Dragon Ranger. In this universe anyway._

 _Still appreciate you doing that but like I said, long as it's constructive criticism I don't mind. Unless they're being jags about it then I just it 'em with a Thoron or three._

 _*inserts the scene from Family Guy where Stewie wakes up to see a giant hole blown open in his bedroom, something about him not liking change* Anyway I didn't really change it. I just took it down and decided to go more in-depth with it to explain a looooot of the things that got skimmed over. The basic ending hasn't changed much but I have expanded on it quite a bit so I guess it's not the exact original any more. As for the Pokemon thing I don't get it. I actually like that there are variations. Long as they're simply alternate changeable forms like Mega Evolution and not replacements, like Alola has some kind of backwards ecosystem. Yeah that was pretty much the biggest point of what I did, not changing the ending but rather going into a greater more detailed explanation of the hows and whats, and a few whys._

 _Yeah there will be blood rage. Lots of people are upset about Ruby dying._

 _... *glances around* Where are you getting these clones.. Eh, this Adam isn't as cool as the regular Adam. Which I still have a begrudging respect of said coolness even for what he did to you-know-who. These antagonists.. Nobody's gonna miss 'em. And no that doesn't make you a bad person. Everyone loved that one. And if you send me any more pics like that one about Neo, and hurt my feels, I was do something awful. Like, Lucy level awful and uh.. HIDE YOUR SHOES._

 _Also ha, cliffhanger. Herd u liek dem._

 _At GrnDrgnzrd: Yeah I'd like to buy a vowel. ..Just joshin' ya. Thanks!_

 _At Andilite: HA. Take that bad guys! I will try to, especially since my schedule is gonna be niiiice this week. Don't open until 5 PM?! Dat's sum writin' time right there. And time for lunch at Ryan's._

 _At djjohns94: Already sent a PM about that I think but I said they'll be getting more screentime in the sidestory. Possibly at the end of this one for a bit. For those who can't read his PMs, IE anyone not associated with Homeland Security, Blake is a werecat and the futa thing.. No spoilers, just gonna say a magic spell didn't go off as planned. Look forward to that._

 _At BlakJakXXI: Pretty much. Ghosts, corpses, places with high spiritual concentration.. His cultists necromancers are attuned to them all and act as his links to the outside world since he can't leave Reaper's Escape. Hey as long as Tundra doesn't have to worry about being implicated and bringing the wrath of other vampires, he'll loosen Graham's leash. A little. I did what I could to make that scene have a good impact, so I'm glad to see readers felt it. I mean she lost Qrow, her sister in law, and after making a promise to her dead brother she'd keep his kid alive as an honor to his memory she watches her die too? That's a heartbreaker right there._

 _Something to put in a little suspense, make the bad guys look like credible threats and give the good guys serious opposition. Vortogk's not just an uppity little gremlin with a grudge, he's a dangerous individual with a vengeance that he's committed and able to pursue. The final showdown is coming soon to a theater near you!_

 _If she can get in it. Remember, Graham said that it's not the easiest task to take control of a new living vessel. Even without a soul in it, it's a strong undead's body with supernatural enhancement. I know I spoke of Muramasa before but going back to that story (roll with context), Momohime actually managed to force Jinkuro's soul out of her body before he could deal a fatal blow to her love interest, and take it back. I'm glad to have Ruby back too, or will be. I can stop italicizing all her lines for ghostly emphasis, heh._

 _At Beloved Knightmare Union: Nyaa. More of a suspenseful and ominous dark rather than twisted dark. Like a 'oh crap bad things are happening!' sorta deal. Blood and violence has been a thing, although having her neck almost broken is a far more severe injury than anything Weiss has taken so far. Even with stake stabbings and holy water burns._

 _Weiss' initial plan like she said was to try and steal some of his blood. She never intended to get into a full-on fight. Too bad he made that choice for her. Oh yeah his blood is special. Well.. Not really special, just higher quality than most minotaurs'. Ruby will be seeing some more action before this is over too. A lot more action.. *ominous evil laughter*_

 _Just because one's a joker and the other's a stoic serious business type doesn't mean they can't do their jobs. They are still Dullahan, Unseelie type dark fairies (yes dullahans are a kind of fae if you can believe it, although there are variations like the headless riders and the headless knights) and powerful forces of un-nature._

 _Hey gotta add a few lighthearted and funny moments in there somehow. I'll keep cranking these out when time permits so hey hey! Again PMed about that last part but for those that don't know and might be interested to learn.. I work for a traveling carnival called Amusements of America. Right now I'm a ride foreman in kiddieland. It's fun. Sometimes._

 _At Rapter267: No problem! Naturally like I said it's not what it is, it's how and why it's used. Too popularized in modern things but it's also understandable. Kids and some adults and teenagers wanna see the shiny white knights beat the evil dark wizard, but it's fun to flip that on its head every now and again._

 _I meant to say she had sharp fingernails, and they should be retractable like Wolverine's claws. From normal nails to *snikt!* three? inch slicers that can put a new neck smile on ya before you know it. Otherwise that could make certain miscellaneous activities.. Unpleasant and/or difficult._

 _Alright. BAM. Story time! In the words of the Killing Floor player character voice actor (one of them, for the first game), "Upstairs for bedtime, children!"._

* * *

Weiss' breath hitched in her throat as Graham spoke. The resurrection ritual.. The moment had finally come. Everything was now up to the strange skeleton and Ruby who the vampiress could have sworn was shaking. Or maybe it was herself though she was unsure if it was in excitement or unease.

 _"U-Umm.. What do I..?"_

"Be patient. I'll explain everything one step at a time. For now.. I will cast the incantation that breathes life into this vessel. Then you must force entry into it and subdue its primal instincts." Graham motioned with a wave of his free hand towards the Ruby.. Doll? Body? They weren't sure what exactly to call it.

"Wait, Ruby has to possess it while it's alive? Why can't she do it now?" Weiss asked, rather confused.

Graham just gave her a look. Not one of mockery but rather amusement. "If she were to command it now, it'd be the same as trying to control a mannequin or doll. As is the body is but a mere shell, an inanimate if flesh and blood object which would soon rot and decay without its vital functions and biological processes sustaining it. Therefore it must be made animate and possessed. And yes, possessing it and then raising it would result in the same if not more dangerous outcome."

"That's- That's incredibly dangerous! I'm ill-versed in necromancy but I know enough about ghosts to know that forced possession of a living being could cause severe psychological and-"

"I made it clear when I proposed this to you. There could be.. Complications." He cut her off. "But she's displayed a great deal of mental fortitude and willpower. That man you encountered at the used goods store and then at the minotaur's warren.."

"How-"

"He was no grand inquisitor but he had a good deal of both as well, yet she held her own against him for several days before your fateful encounter. I would not even conceive of such a scheme if I didn't believe that the girl was capable."

"..." She bit her lip, glancing down at the ice mirror. The other female's expression didn't falter even though deep inside her own heart was troubled. The lich did mention such a thing but Weiss had never given it so much thought until now. Or known the depths of the peril that awaited Ruby by doing this.

 _"Weiss. I'm gonna go through with it. Everything you probably went through can't be for nothing. I know you're worried but I can do this."_

"I'm not worried, I'm scared!" Weiss almost yelled, gripping the edges of the phylactery. Yep. It was definitely her that had been shaking. "I thought it'd be simpler than that, that you wouldn't have to put yourself in danger like I have!"

The room was eerily quiet for several moments, nothing but the low echoing mantra of the robed individuals lining the edge of the room breaking the silence.

 _"I.. Trust me. Please."_

"Ruby.. I want to. But this.."

"Ahem." Graham cleared his throat. Somehow. At least that was the sound that came from him. "Ms. Schnee, I assure you I know precisely what I am doing. I may not be able to guarantee or promise her safety but I can offer very good chances that this will work. Even with the threat her new body poses I and my cult are at call to prevent any mishaps and accidents. Our skills and experience are second to very few. Have a bit of faith."

The vampiress' narrowed her gaze on him. Skepticism was practically ready to boil over as she let the ice mirror go to one hand, the other raising a finger to point in his direction.

"And why should I? Do tell me. I know practically nothing about you but what could be a false name and that you allegedly serve my father. I know these people reside in the castle but that's the extent of my knowledge. You have some other motives than servitude or simple entertainment that I don't know of, why should I even trust you?"

Pinching a nonexistent brow and sliding his hand down his face with a clack Graham leaned back, a chair of bone and stone building itself to support him. One leg was crossed over the other, that red and black tome set on one of the arms as the skeleton interlinked his fingers in his lap. Ruby was remaining silent as they spoke.

"You're letting fear make you irrational.. ..Listen well. I have been in the practice of necromancy for well over twenty thousand years, long before even the time of your grandfather's grandfather. I have seen nations established, nations divided, nations conquered, sometimes of my own volition.. Perhaps you'd like to ask the Ice Tyrant himself? I will wait. However do so with the knowledge that time is of the essence."

She crossed her arms, tapping her foot. While presuming that she was doing to mull over what she'd heard Graham continued on.

"I am nothing short of certified to make such claims that I have, and I will confess that I had something to gain from your endeavors. However.. I already have gained what I wanted. Now I aim to make good on the deal that was struck."

"Without my knowledge!" She shouted, causing the silver eyed girl to flinch as she felt more pressure on the edge of her little portable soul shrine.

"Yes but it's inconsequential to your own. Your father also knows of this if you recall me saying something on the matter. Or.. We could continue. I will go along with whatever you decide."

This left her speechless for several minutes. Should she really trust him? Was it safe? But if she was going to start having doubts now why did she bother committing to it in the first place? Why go back now after all the trouble that been gone through? When Weiss finally spoke again it was with a softer tone and relaxed visage.

"..Very good chances?"

"There is not a single individual in the universe that can claim to be perfect, and I cannot and will not make false promises, but when I say that every precaution is to be taken with care and proper knowledge.. I mean it. We have it and experience to ensure the best possible chances."

"..Ruby?"

 _"I haven't changed my mind and I'm not going to."_ Her voice came from aside. Conceding with a heavy sigh Weiss held the mirror back up, nodding towards Graham who stood up and cast away his little seat with a skeletal smile.

"Excellent. Now.. Shall we? I will begin the revival ritual, be prepared to exit the phylactery and attempt to subdue your new vessel. Notify me when you are sure you are ready."

Ruby looked hard towards the body. Everything hinged on this. She knew it was now or never. _"..Okay. Let's do it."_

"Very well."

Stepping back into the formation Graham opened the dark tome to a certain page, sliding his finger down over certain articles and images before flipping to the next. Without warning the voices of the necromancers raised in both volume and frequency, their previous dulcimer tones now echoing louder. Weiss could feel the undead energy in the air around her; being so unnaturally cold it sent a chill running over her skin and up her back. While what looked like green mist rose from the pentagram inscribed on the ground the red candles changed to the same emerald color, the rest of the blue ones snuffing out. Now the only things illuminating the room were they and Graham's glowing eyes as well as the suddenly shining eyes of the robed ones.

 _"Weiss.."_

"We'll be fine. You're not scared of the dark are you?"

 _"O-Of course not! I grew out of that phase a long time ago!"_ Ruby huffed, crossing her arms.

"I see.." The vampiress said with a smirk. Then that turned into a coy grin as she giggled. "..Then how come I saw a Hello Skitty nightlight in your room that night I snuck in?"

 _"That- You- I-It's not for me! It's for my dog Zwei."_ Again she huffed and turned a little red.

"Animals have better night vision than humans."

 _"Well.. I didn't want to trip over anything if I had to get up or something!"_

"Your eyes would have adapted to the dark by then and besides since you were turning I'm certain you had some degree of night vision."

Ruby was as red as her namesake, stuttering to try and defend herself. When she couldn't come up with something else the girl just grumbled under her breath and fell silent. Weiss giggled again, her attempt at distracting Ruby working for the better. If only it could have calmed her own nerves. This place was _eery and unsettling._ For an undead such as herself that said something and it only got worse when the many runes and sigils also marking the ground lit up in accordance to coherent verses from Graham.

"To sow again what Death has reaped. To defy the natural order, breathing life into that which has none.. In the name of the dead master I command you to rise. In the name of the reapers I command you to move!"

Both females watched on, the brunette's case of jitters starting up again as the white haired one's only got worse. Ruby's body started.. Twitching. Twitching, jerking, convulsing, making all sorts of small motions. When it started to release small if ragged breaths that's when they both felt the full impact of the undead energy filling the unholy reliquary.

"Great and terrible are things that feed on fear, even more foul are those that prey on they without hesitation. A might that cannot be matched, a vile force that cannot be restrained, you will answer my summons for I am a messenger of He with black feathers and gleaming blade. From the deepest shadows under Death's wing it is by my will that you walk the earth.."

Weiss and Ruby shivered, stepping back when the body let out a sinister snarl. Those once dull gray eyes turned a most hideous red as sharp teeth were bared into a bloodthirsty scowl. It then began to shake, testing the chains binding it to the stone altar before tugging on them.

"I suggest that if you're going to do this, now would be a very good time to start."

 _"Huh? But what do I-"_

"Exit the mirror and simply fly into it as if you were going to possess any other object. From there it will be a struggle of wills. I'll be watching to ensure nothing goes wrong and I suppose your beloved here can provide moral support."

Weiss tensed as Ruby's body turned to look at her, several links in one of the chains starting to twist and crack. Why the lich hadn't thought to bind it more securely she couldn't fathom.

"It's about to break free, go!"

"What?! Can't you tie it down better first? What if it hurts someone?" Ruby yelled.

"It would tear itself apart in an attempt to break free! Remember it is merely an animated corpse at this moment, judgement and decision making are severely disjointed. It'd be in the best interests of both of you if it remained intact. Plus, I daresay that it'll find more favor in Ms. Schnee. Oh drat I should have mentioned, be prepared to defend yourself."

"WHAT?"

*CRACK*

With a screech the homunculus pulled harder, that perilously stressed chain finally breaking. Flexing its arm and clawed fingers it then looked over at the other chain. A single tightening of the muscles and a short yank later the second was torn free pathetically easily. Then came one leg and the other before it focused on Weiss. Damn that skeleton for being right.

It let out a snarl and broke into a straight run for her, completely ignoring Graham and the other necromancers for whatever reason. Weiss held up the mirror in front of her chest and shouted for Ruby to go, the ghost girl ejecting from it as a translucent crimson head once more before phasing into her body. It stumbled and nearly tripped, clutching its midsection with both arms as if it were sick while Graham watched with clear concern.

"Come on Ruby you can do this.. I believe in you! Don't let it beat you!"

She wasn't sure if she was winning or not as it then staggered around, swiping at the air while one hand remained on its stomach. It wasn't until it arched its back and rejected Ruby's soul back into the air that Weiss realized she lost that round. With a furious glare full of ire it then turned on her, leaping after the vampiress with fist drawn back.

Weiss made the mistake of trying to catch that Superman punch and felt what was probably every bone in her right arm break all at the same time. She fell back and Ruby's body went with her, picking her up in a chokehold and suspending her by the throat. Weiss' remaining functional arm grasped at the wrist, unable to tear away a hideously frightening grip strength that cut off her air supply as she dangled helplessly off of the floor. Vision fading, lungs convulsing with the direst urge to get oxygen, all she could hear was Ruby screaming her name before she felt something nearly pop her neck and then slacken. Darkness tinting her field of vision Weiss barely managed to make out another very short lived possession attempt before the red phantasm was shot back out. There wasn't even enough power to cast an ice spell with how tired she was from the material hunt, the battle with the minotaur king, and of course getting back home at top speed..

Suddenly she heaved, air flowing back into her lungs as she hit the floor on all fours or rather somewhat of all threes, gasping and panting with eyes open wide. The realization her arm was a throbbing mass of pain hit just moments after as she looked up to see the artificial vessel fall backwards onto the stone floor. Once it was no longer moving Graham stepped over it and kneeled by the vampiress.

 _"Weiss! Oh god are you okay? Weiss? Weiss?!"_

"She'll be fine. Luckily her arm's only completely fractured and wasn't taken right off. I can mend broken bones in a heartbeat but growing them back? Flesh included? Well, it's just a bit more difficult than fixing them. Imagine how incredibly difficult it is to rewire a human brain, compared to something of this caliber." He chuckled, placing one bony hand over Weiss' bicep before squeezing and casting another of his strange incantations. She grit her teeth and resisted the urge to lash out at the pain but in only a few seconds it all dulled and went away as the bones in her arm moved back into place and reconnected. Cracks and breaks melded back together seamlessly and then it was all back to normal. Like it'd never been broken in the first place.

He let her catch her breath for a minute or so before tapping her again, asking if anything felt off or out of place or still hurt. When she shook her head he then stood up, retrieving his book from inside his ribcage and opening it once more.

"Good. Well then. Whenever you feel ready shall we continue? I think you did quite well for your first ever attempt at forced possession."

"What.. What the Hell was that?" Weiss yelled. The lich just shrugged in response.

"I told you it would be dangerous. You haven't hit your head at some point have you?" The male asked with a nonexistent raised eyebrow. The scene of King Adam socking her in the jaw and launching her into the ceiling came to mind but went no further so she simply answered no. "This will take a while. I can tell the girl wore it down a fair bit before being rejected. Perhaps next time will be easier. How are you feeling by the way?"

 _"Huh?"_ Ruby blinked, looking over from Weiss to him.

"No sinister thoughts or desire to consume the living and/or dead like some sort of ravenous cadaver?"

 _"No.. My head hurts a bit and I feel kinda tired but I can keep going. Weiss are you alright?"_

"I'll be fine. I just wasn't expecting it to be so vicious. I wish you would have warned me."

"I did, silly child. I can't get any simpler than 'be prepared to defend yourself'." Graham stated bluntly. Weiss simply frowned at him before standing up and stretching her healed arm. She and Ruby both looked at the once crazed body before turning to eachother, then to the lich who after looking back for a few seconds would motion to his fellow necromancers to restart their chant as he in turn repeated the incantation to instill life in Ruby's body.

 _"I'll get it this time.."_

"Don't pressure yourself Ruby. I don't want anything to happen to you."

 _"Same here. Please be careful.."_

"Promise."

As they both heard that angry growling again Weiss took a stance, Ruby floating by her at the ready as the body picked itself up and curled its deadly fingers.

 **...**

 ***an hour or so later***

 **...**

"You're close! I think it's about to give!"

"Look out over there!"

"Whoa!"

*crash*

Weiss jumped aside as a chunk of stone went flying past, smacking into the wall and shattering into dozens of pieces. Ruby's body shrieked and twisted, flailing about and punching the floor until the girl's soul fired out and rolled through the air. She let out a long sigh and hovered gently down to about half a foot from the ground, staring at the ceiling.

 _"Crap.. I'll get it next time..!"_

"I think it's about time for a break don't you think? You two have been at it for quite some time. The vessel might be exhausted but it isn't going anywhere, and there's a greater chance for accidents if you don't get some rest." Graham spoke, watching from a chair on the sidelines as he snapped his fingers. The homunculus shuddered and fell to its knees, hitting the floor face first. No longer in danger Weiss let out a gasp and did the same, landing on her bottom and laying back on the floor. The small crater-filled, cracked, in some places shattered, floor. Evidence of their struggle was very noticeable all through the room though the other necromancers had long been gone now that the actual revival process was complete and the lich could take over completely. A few whispered words and the green candles extinguished, all being replaced by more regular lighting.

"I can't believe it's resisting so much. How strong did you make it?"

"Well, I used a wight as the base. Naturally I made her form more human in appearance." Graham answered the vampiress, thumbing through his tome of black magic absentmindedly. When she slowly climbed to her feet and walked over to Ruby he cast a raised eyebrow-ish expression their way.

"..Hey. How are you feeling?"

 _"Tired.. Mostly tired. Also really hungry for some wierd reason."_

That expression went from curious to narrowed concern a lot less than ten seconds flat, the lich's attention focused on the two as he stopped flipping the dusty old pages.

"Hungry? For..?"

 _"Strawberries. Something sweet."_

And he went back to his casual reading.

"You can't even eat so I don't know why you're feeling hungry." Not unless ghosts could eat something like say spirit energy. ..Could they? She wondered.

 _"I dunno. I'm just gonna sit- Errr float here I guess. Might be that I'm just worn from trying to get into my new body."_

Weiss found that to be more likely. Even though she was just a floating and somewhat see-through head Ruby clearly looked drained, her eyes half closed and her voice a bit quiet. Reaching out to cup her cheek even though the vampiress couldn't really touch it Weiss told her to get some rest. Ruby looked towards the immobile body almost wistfully before looking back and nodding. Picking up the ice mirror that somehow still lay intact by the stone altar Weiss propped it up at an angle and then walked over to Graham, a little relaxed when she heard that phantasmic echo signifying her entrance into the reflective phylactery.

"..."

"Mind if I sit down?"

"..." With creaking and grinding noises a chair of bone formed for her across from him. Though she hadn't asked she was grateful for something to sit on other than the cold hard fragmented floor. Taking a seat and leaning back Weiss looked dead ahead, staring at the lich.

"..Something wrong Ms. Schnee?"

"Why?"

"I'm sorry?"

Weiss straightened her posture, actually leaning forward a bit this time as she interlinked her fingers and placed her hands in front of her between her knees. His question went without a response for a solid minute as a multitude of thoughts formed inside her head.

"Why are you doing this?"

"I had something to gain through your efforts, simple as that."

"But what? I've given up on asking who you are and I don't really buy your '20000 years old' story." Fingers came up for airquotes. "But there has to be a reason you're doing so much for me. Serving my father is one thing but you don't have any obligation to us, and you said it wasn't on his orders. I didn't even know you existed until a few days ago either."

"..." He stayed silent, not giving an answer. His gaze shifted back to her after she snapped her fingers.

"..Wait. You're not.. ... ..The Crossbreakers."

"You're incredibly perceptive Ms. Schnee. As like your father and mother."

"I think there's a connection but I don't know what it is. Ruby's silver eyes, this shadow demon trying to wipe out silver eyed humans, the attack on my family and I, even predating what happened over a week ago.. Why you had me do your fetch quest instead of asking my father or sending your minions out there. Why you're doing so much to bring her back. You came to me with this proposition and I accepted, not the other way around."

Graham just blankly stared at her, his glowing hollows sparkling even in the candlelight. The book was set aside as he then proceeded to applaud Weiss with a slow clap of his boney hands.

"Bravo, simply bravo.. ..." He leaned forward in his seat as well, closer to her face as he spoke with a deathly serious tone in a hushed voice. "This extends beyond a simple favor or some deal. My gambit is for a far greater purpose, beyond a scope any of you are aware of. Even Tundra is only becoming scantly aware of what I have prophesized. Whether it comes to pass or not depends solely upon the success of the ambitions you two have."

"What are you talking about..?"

"It's all in her eyes. Everything comes back to the silver eyed humans and the legends surrounding them. That however is a tale for another time, if this is successful."

"You can't just talk like some mad mystic and then leave me in the dark-"

"Oh but I can. Actually I will."

Weiss grit her teeth, crossing her arms and scowling at the lich as he rose. Feeling the ghostly disturbance from Ruby's mirror he looked down at the princess.

"..Succeed, I will tell you everything. Do not fear failure for that is the behavior of one who expects the possibility of it."

This damned lich and his cryptic games, she thought to herself. It didn't seem like she had a choice did she? Looking over her shoulder Weiss would get up and stand between Ruby and Graham.

"I do suggest you get proper rest, in fact perhaps we should continue tomorrow instead. I will warn you once more.. Trying to subjugate such an unsound creature is a great stress on the mind. It is not like fighting a battle of muscle and steel."

 _"One more time."_ Ruby spoke quickly, staring them both down.

"Ruby, don't push yourself. I told you before the second time.."

 _"Just one more try! I know I can do it! If it doesn't work then we'll try tomorrow like he said."_

Weiss frowned. She really didn't feel well with taking that risk. Besides, her own body was nearly about to fall out from compounded stress and overexertion. But.. Maybe. Maybe she had it in her for one last shot. Was it worth the chance..?

"If you are absolutely certain you can maintain yourself for it. I will however put my foot down if you fail. Your spirit can only endure so much and the princess is clearly reaching her limit."

Both Ruby and Weiss locked eyes. They came to the same decision together and nodded towards Graham. With a swift turn of both heel and pages he restarted the spell to raise the homunculus. When it didn't move at first they started getting worried, and that worry only escalated as its muscles visibly surged in size. A bit more than average for a girl of her age. Rock flooring was crushed in its claws as they dug into the floor, hateful growls and heavy breathing coming from it as it slowly rose to its feet. A visage etched with furious wrath bore frighteningly sharp teeth at the vampiress, completely unlike the sweet and amicable person it was modeled after.

"Oh well that's just dandy. I know I've said it twice now but I now staunchly advise defending yourself."

"I don't need you to tell me that..! Ruby, wait for my signal. I'm going to try and tire it out first."

Ruby nervously watched as she awaited its move, predictably jumping forward with a shriek and a haymaker primed. The sheer wind from its swing could be felt as she tilted back to avoid it and an uppercut from the opposite arm followed, forcing Weiss to hop back. A frenzy of slashing claws came after and were deflected by icy gauntlets that forged themselves onto her arms a second prior. When they transitioned back into brutal blows from fists and elbows she wisely parried, having already learned the very hard way that trying to block or catch them was an idiot's errand.

After several bouts of this going on it was clear who was going to drop from fatigue first, a particularly wild backhand sending her flying and rolling to a crouching position when she scrabbled at the floor. Weiss had almost made it to her feet completely but lacked the energy to rise fully. The homunculus however seemed to have just a bit more stamina left, enough to kneel and then pounce. The momentum took it clear across the room, ready to slam onto her with a hammer blow. If it weren't for the rapidly formed wall of solid bone that rose between them the attack would have been straight on to her upper back. Instead it shattered like the hastily made defence it was and still threw off the actual trajectory, slowing its arc enough to drop in front of her.

"Ruby, now or never! It-" Over cracks painful just to hear almost all the air in her lungs was forced out as she felt a knee drive into her stomach. There went a few ribs no doubt. Then possibly but not quite her collarbone when two fists interlinked by the fingers came down for a more successful hammer blow driving her right into the floor. The vessel's fist came up and clenched, ready for a penultimate finisher when its entire body seized up upon Ruby's forced entry. Graham was a few feet closer, watching carefully as body and mind entered a bitter struggle for dominance. Completely ignoring Weiss who fought just to breath where she lay it began screaming and thrashing about yet again. This time however it was much more violent, clutching at its head and kicking stones everywhere. A few of which the lich helped block so they wouldn't knock out or injure the downed princess.

Candles were knocked over yet remained alight on the ground, the stone altar then blowing into chunks and fragments as it was relentlessly pounded down. Better on it than either he or she.. It'd be simpler to rebuild. Longer than normal the internal battle lasted several minutes, Graham and Weiss both watching and mentally cheering Ruby on. It looked like it had finally ended when the body stopped and stood still, panting hard as a dog but to the latter's horror it started again for a brief second, crimson wisps flying out and off to the other side of the reliquary as Ruby was kicked back out. She would have it the floor and cursed if she weren't so weak.

"She gave a truly respectable and admirable effort, commendable even, but I did not expect her to claim victory today. She did however exceed my expectations by a far margin. This is where we stop."

Graham raised his hand, green light illuminating the palm as the homunculus charged for Weiss ever Hellbent on tearing her apart. When that light pulsed and disappeared with a puff of emerald smoke a single echoing ringing sound went off, several necromancers warping into the room and raising their own hands to perform the same action. Theirs however sparked and flickered before popping.

"I carelessly lost track of my magic reserves and they're not capable of breaking the life imbuing I cast..! To me my vassals!"

Weiss was barely on one knee, clutching her stomach with one hand as the other shakily supported herself. The vessel was on her in seconds, lifting her and throwing her against the wall without stopping. Her head bounced off it, spinning stars into her vision. The robed ones were doing their best to funnel their undead energy into Graham so he could personally break the spell that kept the vessel moving as he spoke the incantation needed. When a bolt of red flew past them he shouted for it to stop only to have his word fall on deaf ears.

Looking up Weiss saw the gleam of deadly claws raising and poising to dive into her chest. Angled straight for her heart they got about a painful inch in when she felt the entire weight of the body shift against her, releasing as it moved back and fell to the floor. What followed would be unhappily ingrained into memory for a very long time.

Ruby's body twisted and shook, flopping about like a fish out of water. Screams of pain that at first sounded beastial and then more human echoed all through the room, its eyes rapidly transitioning from blood red to light gray. It rolled, clawed at the floor, kicked and screamed.. Until everything stopped.

The tension was so thick even a knife couldn't cut it. Was Ruby alright? Her soul hadn't been ejected.. Was it safe? Had it been devoured somehow by the vicious homunculus? Weiss feared the worst as it lay there still as could be, tensing when she heard it hiss and its arms came up to clutch its head. Then its eyes slowly fluttered open and she realized who claimed the artificially made body.

 **...**

 **...**

Darkness. That's what seemed to surround her. Naught but shadows, and nothing she could hear except for the pounding of her head from what felt like a major league migraine. Her whole body was sore and aching as if it'd been put through a wringer. Her.. Body?

Blink. Then she blinked a few times more. Wait. There was light. It hurt her eyes but the area was indeed lit. And it smelled. Almost like dead bodies and blood, perhaps a bit of mint..? If only the raging headache would go away..

Slowly but surely it actually did. Though it still struck like a hammer it had more force of a mallet than the sledgehammer it felt like moments ago. Only just now did she become briefly aware of someone calling out. Ruby? That was her name..? The voice sounded so familiar.. Oh how she could feel every throbbing ache in her being but barely able to move any part of it. Not until almost at once everything kicked back up into working order. Synapses and neurons, muscle tissues and fibers, nerves, memories and thoughts.

Ruby bolted upright, looking to both sides until her eyes landed on Weiss who was being treated by Graham for her broken ribs. The others were still feeding him magic energy but they were the least of her concern. Scrabbling over like the floor was coming out from under her she slid to her side.

"Weiss! Oh my god Weiss you're okay! I almost thought it was going to kill you!"

"Ha.. Not likely. Some zombie isn't going to get the best of me. I'm a Schnee after all. Still I am a little sore but I think I'll manage."

"Several fractured ribs, a cracked clavicle, a wee bit of a small case of minor internal bleeding, all that fun stuff but hey! You won so let's all celebrate with some cake and ice cream!"

Ruby looked up over her shoulder, Weiss looking past with a groan of 'not this again'. Graham was sort of smiling and clicking the tips of his fingers together with what resembled self-satisfaction.

"How's the body feel? Everything in working order? Anything feel wierd or out of place? Just lemme know, I got a saw and a sewing kit we could use to patch it real quick-like. I'll have to chain the soul properly to your new vessel before it becomes an issue but I can do that later."

"I dislike the serious you a lot less."

"Yeah but he's not as fun, besides he had to put up with a lot so give him a break."

The lich chuckled, his minions disappearing amidst blurs of blackness as he waved his hand. New candlesticks grew from the ground and lit with plain flames. Weiss would roll her eyes, then look down and mutter thanks as well as an apology for the chaos they caused in his little sanctuary. Which he handwaved.

"You two did me a great service, besides this is nothing a little spring cleaning can't fix. Think both of you would look good in maid uniforms if I was feeling spiteful though. I'm gonna give you two some space and be right back, gotta take care of something."

"Hey wai-" Poof. Graham was gone in the same manner, the two females left alone in the somewhat adequately lit room. Turning back to Weiss and sitting on both knees beside her she put a hand out on her shoulder. Then as if just now noticing she did it would retract her hand, looking down at both of them with astonishment.

"News flash, looks like you're back with us." The vampiress remarked with a smile as Ruby flexed her new fingers. The nails would shrink down to more normal and human shape as opposed to the previous three inch cutters they had been, her muscle mass decreasing back to its previous but still above average definition as well. The latter was simply a latent reaction but it seemed she could manually control the former, doing so a few times with 'snikt' noises a la Wolverine with a grin.

"Wow.. Unreal.."

"How do you feel?"

She paused her childish imitation to think. How did she feel..? Strong. Fast. Nearly invincible despite the lingering nag of a headache. There was no insatiable desire for flesh quite the way Graham had put it but she did feel hungry. Compared to her old human body this one felt brand new and unbreakable.

"Like I could lift a bus over my head. I feel great! You.. You really did it Weiss. You brought me back."

"Heh. I'm glad.. So glad to have you back.."

Weiss started tearing up as she spoke, Ruby quickly leaning down and practically laying on her to embrace her. Both of them ended up crying in eachothers arms moments after. It was all over. All finally over. With Ruby returning as a powerful undead surely the Crossbreakers would think twice about attacking her again, especially with Weiss present lest they risk the fury of the Schnee and Zahne families. And speaking of families..

"Mom.. Dad, Sis!" Ruby exclaimed, pulling back. The sniffling vampiress on the other hand leaned up to clutch her close again and she simply let her. Thoughts of reuniting with Raven, Taiyang, and of course Yang were at the forefront of her mind momentarily but Weiss had just gone through Hell and then some for her sake.

"I'm sorry.."

"It's okay. I'm here."

"I know you want to see them but I can't- Don't leave me yet.."

Ruby pushed back a little bit to give her a soft smile and assure her that she wasn't ever going to leave her again, earning one in return as Weiss nestled her face into the crook of her neck. Her hands clasped on the girl's shoulder and neck rather gently as Ruby put her arms around the white haired vampire again and caressed one hand up and down her back.

The two of them sat like that for a few minutes as Weiss calmed down. They'd been through so much together, such a bond formed in perhaps the span of a month, but it was one forged through fire and flames if started on very shaky ground. The oddest pair, a middle class human girl and daughter of vampire killers and a high class vampire born of noble blood. Yet somehow they clashed and clicked together. Endearingly in this case almost literally with how one was clutching the other.

"..Weiss? Hey, Weiss. Jeez don't tell me you're asleep. Hello?"

Ruby gave her a small shake, feeling Weiss stir. Her grip tightened a little bit with a squeeze and as she opened her eyes it was with a sultry expression full of what could only be described as desire. All too well Ruby remembered that look, too slow or perhaps incapable of stopping Weiss as she gave a little nip at her collar.

"W-What are you doing?!" The wight loudly whispered, skin flushing with embarrassment.

"It's been so long.. I don't think I can get it from anyone else anymore. Please, Ruby.. I.. I need some. I'm so tired.."

Of course. The 'curse' from before. The little conversation that she couldn't remember with that succubus had Weiss wondering why love was such a strange affair in the supernatural world but there was nothing that could be done about it. Knowing that she owed Weiss a pretty hefty debt that she also knew well the princess didn't expect or want repayment of Ruby didn't resist as fangs were set to her neck. They never punctured though as if waiting for permission.

"..."

"..Alright. G-Go ahead. Just uh, don't t-take too much ou-Haaa~"

Letting out a pleasurable gasp as those white canines sunk inside she felt the blood flow, every press of the other girl's lips down for that succulent crimson nectar clearly felt against her skin. The effect was gradual but swift, lost energy, magic, and stamina filling like a bucket underneath a broken spigot. Even the superficial wounds inflicted that Graham hadn't repaired were rapidly healing over and the scars disappearing. For Weiss it was just like before, imbibing something worthy of gods as power swelled within. When her fangs were finally withdrawn it was with a short pop that left Ruby breathless. The poor undead felt drained, both physically and mentally as she nearly fell forward on her face. Luckily Weiss still had her hands in place but she'd soon move them up to hold her cheeks and make sure that she was still fine.

"Ha.. Haa.. Ruby..? Are you okay? I didn't over drink did I?"

"I'll be fine.. Just need to rest for a second.. Woo I'm feeling dizzy."

As she bordered on the edge of a blackout Ruby felt their foreheads connect lightly. From there she had a perfect view of the mixmatched eyes that had both haunted her nightmares and filled her dreams and could see her own reflecting back from inside. Weiss still had that almost-closed-eyes look of want that closed when she pushed her lips against Ruby's, taking her by complete surprise. Such was her shock that once again she found herself helpless as the vampiress turned them over so that she lay atop her with their hands and arms still in the same general areas. Her kisses went from those of a passionate spouse's to a lust-filled lover's, tongue entering her mouth without a fight. It was a bit disturbing for Ruby how the taste of her own blood in Weiss' mouth excited her more than disgusted her.. Both of them started letting out little gasps as things got more heated, fingers moving to other spaces as they began to lose themselves.

It was with an exaggerated loud clearing of the throat that Ruby and Weiss suddenly found themselves back in reality, noticing the skeletal being watching them with arms crossed and a foot tapping on the still broken floor. Which really was rather cold and uncomfortable now that they thought about it.

"Y'know if you two were gonna do that at least leave a sock on the doorknob."

"H-H-How long were you standing there?!" Weiss shouted, getting up with Ruby who was beet red and sputtering out apologies and smoothing out her clothes.

"Long enough to see that it looks like everything is in working condition, and you're back in good spirits. I really don't mind watching two cute girls in a bout of tongue-fencing but I'm pretty sure both of you have things that need doing..? Families to inform of your safety and/or return to the world of the living..?" Graham looked between the two of them as he spoke, making it clear of what he meant. "Or just sit on the ground and suck eachother's faces off. My work here is done."

"I'm really sorry about that!" Ruby said, hanging her head and holding her hands together. Weiss just huffed, about ready to say something else when he started walking away.

"Hey! Wait! You owe me answers, Graham! You said if we succeeded then you'd tell me everything! We did it even above your so-called expectations so confess!"

"Tell you about what?"

The brunette's confusion and question went ignored as the male paused. Weiss thought she'd gotten to him when his hands went out at his sides and she felt a pulse of undead energy upon their clenching. Was he.. Shaking? She wasn't sure if it was anger but that was what it looked like and the princess really didn't feel like pushing her luck with this enigmatic lich.

"Err.. That is.. You did say you would. I.."

"The audacity.. How dare you.. You will pay dearly for this transgression, bastard child of evil Hellspawn."

Another emanation of energy had Weiss stepping back, flinching even at the sudden display of ire. The sheer loathing in his voice had her scrambling to explain herself when he stopped her with a raised hand. Suddenly a swirling portal with a muddled image reminiscent of the Zahne castle appeared on the floor next to them as he looked just over his shoulder, eyes glowing a bright green with a greater radiance than previously ever shown.

"Leave this place if you value your lives. I fear I cannot guarantee your safety if you stay. Run, and find your father."

"Hold it, what's going on? Why-" Weiss stopped and staggered about as something shook the room. No, not just the room. The earth around them rattled, dust falling from the ceiling in various places. Each of the candles were extinguished as Graham disappeared in a bone colored blur, leaving the two next to the circular flat portal. Another tremor nearly toppled the two as they eyed the exit. As if reading eachother's minds they ran forward, down the dark hallway and towards the entrance to the crypt. Drawing closer the sounds of fierce battle could be heard by their enhanced hearing and flashes of red and green by enhanced vision. When the two undead finally breached the opening and moved through the stone doorway it was to a scene of carnage and utter chaos.

Legions of the dead were rising from graves and holes in the ground, and even simply from thin air as groups of necromancers directed their bloodlust towards a group of vampires emerging from arched gateways made of black stone that were phasing into the realm. The images in the frames displayed a blackened world of char magma, obsidian crags, and freely flowing lava underneath a red sky with black clouds. The sort of world a demon might be found inhabiting, and to their horror one was leading the assault into Reaper's Escape as more and more blutsaugers swelled the ranks. They all wore Crossbreaker uniforms and bore the black design of a horned eye with a twisted pentagram pupil burned into their foreheads, symbolic of the demonic blessings received from the one that they called master.

Vortogk the shadow demon, ruler of the radical Crossbreaker sect and genocidal slayer of those with silver eyes. What looked to be a hundred if not hundreds of his followers were rampaging into the undead world and tearing into the ranks of the necromancers as fast as they could be filled, their quality matching and unfortunately exceeding the quantity of the defenders. Zombies, liches, shambles, hellhounds, skeletal soldiers, even a small dracolich was present to take on the multitudes of vampires and what even looked to be like a few humanoid demons amidst Vortogk's army. They wouldn't last long however and were starting to be pushed back just minutes after his arrival.

Unlike before, the shadow demon was in the flesh instead of acting through his moving shadow and exuded an even greater terrifying might through his demonic essence. He had sickly white skin that was cracked and leathery, jagged teeth visible through a snide snarl as a wave of one of his four hands launched a gold and black fireball that detonated over a twenty yard area, obliterating many undead and causing his coat to billow. With an arching barbed horn, onyx lips, and a crescent shaped red eye he had an unmistakable visage, both built and dressed to fit the role of a proud and vain demon. A black and red coat sewn with eldritch runes was modified for his two sets of arms, the collar up at ear level with an upside down cross made of tainted purple glass hanging from his neck. He wore no shoes on account of the long talons on his feet and the spike in place of his heels, the same situation with his hands because of the beastly claws and bladed knuckles. A waist cape blew along with his coattails, thin cloth coverings like pants underneath obsidian rocky leg armor and a belt made exclusively to hold weapons supporting it. On that belt were four metal sheaths, each black and edged with gold having lettering of an unknown language down the outsides, four swords sheathed inside with what looked to be glass blades and metal handles if one glimpsed them in his movements and could see close enough. One green, one brown, one blue, and one red, each having a different elemental air about them.

As he advanced just behind the front line of his demonic vampire followers Vortogk would instantly feel the presences of Weiss and Ruby, and with a sinister chuckle turned his face towards them.

 **"So.. This is where you two were hiding. A world of death and decay.. You've even went through the trouble of creating a new body for that accursed girl to be hosted in so that I may have the joy of seeing her slain once more. Make peace with your regrets and sins, for you've little time left in this or any other world to do so."**

As he started to march in their direction another simultaneous decision was made to retreat, deciding Graham's warning was not for nothing. A black bolt of lightning with gold sparks suddenly cut off their escape route back into the crypt, emanating from two of Vortogk's magically charged hands and detonating the entrance. The entryway collapsed, making it impossible to return.

 **"A pity to waste such royal blood but I can't afford for you to survive, daughter of the Schnee family. And you.."**

Ruby paled when he set his sight upon her, his four arms crossing after cracking all twenty knuckles.

 **"I hope you've said your true final goodbyes, child of angels."**

* * *

 _Salt on watermelon is a terrible idea and the people who do it are insane. Or they put too much on my slice when the guy tried to explain to me how it makes it taste better. Something salty on something sweet. Maybe with chicken but not fruit. What's next, gonna try and tell me pudding goes great over mashed potatoes instead of gravy? Blech._

 _Oh right stuff happened this chapter. Row row fight da powah. Except this power is kinda supercharged pure evil so.. But hey Stella got her groove back! And her man. And by that I mean Ruby*, body*, vampire girlfriend*. Thought things were gonna get M+ in that one scene huh? You did, don't lie. Too bad I'm not doing that. ..*whisper*Maybeintheseparateextraepilogue*whisper* So the big bad himself is storming Helm's Deep to hunt down Ruby in an all or nothing all out attack eh? Too bad his assault is about to get smacked to quote Death Dealer. Somehow, someway, the good guys will win. Right?_

 _By the way if you're thinking this is just the final battle and there's no more twists left in the myth, go restock your popcorn and soda because you're in for a show. In fact I'm thinking there's potential for this story to have an actual sequel. Speaking of other writings, POLL TIME. I'mma do this somewhere for the next *insert number of chapters left in the story here* chapters. I mean the final decision is mine but I wanna know if you guys actually have any preferences. Here's the skinny of the list._

 _1\. Western/Supernatural AU with Neo as the lead, Neo x Torchwick, M+ for many reasons (it's a Western guh)_

 _2\. Modern and high school AU with Ladybug (Ruby x Blake), Romance/Drama, student x teacher (age gap, 16-21/22, just saiyan if that makes you uncomfortable), M+ for alcohol at some point and certain scenes, language._

 _3\. Modern beach resort AU with Monochrome (Blake x Weiss), Romance/Humor/Drama, T for language and implied shenanigans._

 _4\. Advance Wars x RWBY crossover, pairings undecided and set after the events of Dual Strike. Not in Days of Ruin/Dark Conflict continuity._

 _5\. Fantasy/Romance/Action AU, mainly Renora, sorta Lord of the Rings and WarCraft-y with all the good stuff like dwarves, elves, magic, monsters, etc. M+ just in case._

 _6\. Sci-Fi/Horror/Suspense, if you've ever played Dead Space or seen Jason X it's a mix of those things. Team RWBY is a galactic special ops team sent to investigate a carrier that contact was lost inexplicably with near an uncharted planetoid. M+ for soooo many reasons. Mostly gore and language._

 _7\. Action/Horror, mainly focuses on Team AMJR (the guys from The Royal Test) and a mission that goes severely south when a powerful Grimm shows up. Other OCs (not mine) may be present, along with a GrimmLord or Grimmblood (my take/concept on/of Grimm Hybrids)._

 _I got others that I might throw in next chapter but for now.. See ya laters! I'mma go play some more Odin Sphere. Also, anybody know if Code: Realize or Trillion: God of Destruction are any good?_

 _Edit: Oh yah speaking of stuff, this will be one of those rare times I actually ask for anything like say reviews 'cause I wanna hear what you guys read next AND if you think you'd like to see a potential sequel/intermission story as well. The sidestory with Blake and Yang is still gonna happen at SOME point to show what they were up to in the meantime though._


	14. Angels and Demons

_Inspectre Online._

 _Anyway.. Managed to sneak in that last chapter before we left Lebanon so I'm happy. Also got my hands on Code: Realize (apparently it's an Otome game series? which I don't mind at all) and Trillion: God of Destruction. Played a bit of both, liking both so far. Especially Trillion. .If it wouldn't stop FREAKING CRASHING. Yeah I have a refurb PSPVita but it's a new damn game cartridge. At one point I had wicked screen tearing and all that, with some lag even. Then I Google and find out the game is actually doing that for a lot of people. What the Hell? I have never had that kind of problem with 3DS games, ever, but at least I know it's very likely the game and not my system. Which it crashes on Muramasa and Odin Sphere on rare occasions but not nearly as much. It's only at certain spots in the game as well._

 _Edit: Whoever Mother Nature has stationed here, they hate Saturdays. Last Saturday's storm was longer but this one was worse._

 _Anyway enough about my problems. Next we go on to revi- Oh wait that's right. As a certain century+ old scientist from a show called Futurama once said.. "Good news, everyone!"_

 _See while I was brainstorming on what to do for my next fanfic idea (I might just post the entire list thus far down below just to get opinions) I was listening to This Ain't No Place For No Hero by The Heavy, I kept thinking of the intro to Borderlands 2 and then Qrow popped up and one of my aaaancient ideas came along with it, which was inspired by the interdimensional traveling train from Final Fantasy Unlimited about a train that flies through the boundary between Heaven, Hell, (or the afterlife collectively) and the human world. Souls trapped in Limbo or awaiting reincarnation/judgement find themselves onboard until their time has come, at least for the latter types, and *edited out rambling*._

 _TL;DR this story is already forming a sequel in my head along with an intermission/prequel story. Qrow and Summer being Ruby's biological parents might actually have some serious plot relevance and tie in with some things being revealed soon. Anybody up for that? Or just wrap this up and put it on the shelf? Also, nobody has any problems with me setting things up like that do they? Ruby and Yang being biological cousins but keeping their relationship from the show, and changing their parentage? One reader has been telling me it's confusing and messes with the story but I don't really see how it's that bad, and I couldn't change it anyway without a ton of backtrack retcon and rewriting._

 _Anyway, review checkin' time! Also wow. Close to 13k views (maybe that's not impressive for some, IDK what average is, I'm just happy it's somewhat popular-ish), over 130 followers, 88 reviews, and almost 70 favorites. If I were too evil I could be 'that guy' and hold the final chapters hostage for more, but my schedule already does that for me which is annoying.._

 _At Fate-chan2015: Oh what, is that your thing? *snickers* I plan to do more in the future at some point. Also 3. Time will tell the fate of those two soon enough._

 _At AndreaAmai: Come oooon, broaden your horizons! I do love Whiterose pretty much the most out of my ships though. Thanks and will do! Also trying to write your name with the period in it kept removing it when I saved sooo I had to leave it out. At least I'm mostly sure that's the issue._

 _At djjohns94: Excellent time obviously. Nothing could go wrong!_

 _Course ya do, but now I'm thinking.. I really wanna do the intermission/sequel stories next but the sidestory deserves explaining, depends on what overall I actually wanna write next. More of this AU or something else. Yeah I know stuff like that isn't really hardcore, kinda tame-ish, but this is like the internet and there are human beings who get easily offended so that's why I gave the warning of content. Though I gotta ask if that's simply the worst you've seen in fanfics or you mean you read worse stuff on a regular basis.. *curious raised eyebrow, Spock style* ..I kid I kid. Necromorphs in Remnant? Based on the RWBY Red trailer, Ruby would saw through them like they're nothing. I mean she eviscerated the limbs off of some of those Beowulves like *finger snap* that. Yeah her weapon is a lop'n'choppin' machine but still._

 _At boomnitro: Hrrm. Kinda lost my muse for the Advance Wars crossover but it might be back. Dealing with a sudden urge for the Western one again. Or maybe just Neo in general. And my OC team Team AMJR._

 _At Andilite: 2, 5, and 6 eh? General consensus looks to be favoring #2 a bit so far. Yeah ain't that a bummer? She's finally back in action and someone's here to put her back out again. Had to throw in the mini reunion moment though. Will do!_

 _At BlakJakXXI: Your avatar keeps reminding me of Grit from Advance Wars, mostly because of the 'I really don't care about stuff' look and the pointy beard. Anyhoot.._

 _Yeah the whole thing was to show that bringing someone back from the dead, while possible in this AU, was certainly not easy nor a task anyone could be capable of performing or undergoing and that there were quite a few obstacles and restrictions. Yeah this is pretty much an all-in effort right here. Success is killing everyone and leaving no survivors, and cleaning up the evidence before he leaves. Failure is well, failing and being outed. Even though he has a strong sect and is a powerful demon himself, if his identity is revealed and his motives put out.. He can kiss any chances of the other Crossbreakers protecting him. The whole reason he's been successful so far is because nobody knows the splinter group is being controlled by a demon or that they have an agenda aside from a select few that can't really prove these things. Imagine being one of the leaders of a country. If you find out a fraction of your army is secretly taking orders from another party/an enemy and committing (war) crimes that could jeopardize the safety of your country, you'd have them executed for treason or branded as a traitor and exiled right? That kind of attention would make it impossible for him to achieve his goals through secrecy and he knows he can't do it through brute force._

 _Yeah, Ruby was a decent fighter because of genes and some pickups from her parentseses? Oh and Yang. Her started but never finished siring helped a little too. Now she has a body that can go toe-to-toe and then some with vampires.. A superior one at that._

 _It'd be set probably a few years after with a connection to this story. However there'll be an intermission story explaining some things and going into some certain individuals' pasts that lead into Red Snow before that though. Sweet! Glad to hear it!_

 _At Beloved Knightmare Union: I knoooow! They need a Twix moment or three. Yeah it's a little of column A and a little of column B. Actually a lot of A and a little of B. Really? Eeeh I guess that works. Like evil Hellboy and the high ranking demons from WarCraft III. I'd have to Google because there were certain unit models in particular that I got some ideas from. Oh and the eyes thing like the Metal Overlord's from Sonic Heroes. Everything else was my own thing, like having four arms and the four swords. Also lol, wasn't until I started writing this reply by the way that I thought of General Grievous from Star Wars. Didn't he have four arms and use four lightsabers? I had an action figure of him once. On the sequel, the story wouldn't really be dragged on. I mean it'd have some ties to this one but pretty much be its own arc set a few years afterwards. Yeah I meant for the oneshot to be a oneshot but I realized I had something going here so I said screw it, cut it off after that, changed the rating, and moved on to the rest of my idea by creating a continuation. Then after I deleted the old ending and started detailing more I brainstormed and realized I could do much more with it. Which is how the idea of the extra stories/sequel came up. Ha, no they're not fight God and wage war on Heaven. Vortogk totally would though. Oh and side note, I know this hasn't really been touched on but there is some of that stuff but not all of it. Heaven and Hell are two separate domains that reside in the same world and it simply goes by the Afterlife, haven't got names for them yet. There's also not a God or any kind of supreme light being but there is/was a ruler of the Hell side. There are angels and demons too. They just tend to have little presence in the human world. I actually haven't read much RWBY fanfiction lately, kinda messed up 'cause I used to do it all the time. What is the 'same old same old'?_

 _It actually will because I plan on having a normal ending to wrap things up, an epilogue chapter that takes place right after the ending, and then an M+ extra chapter._

 _At Legolas Dragon Ranger: Graham's hilarious, 'nuff said._

 _Illidan alone would obliterate Vortogk so that's overkill. As for Dragon Lord Rain, hmm. Maybe? Then again it's not her problem._

 _Oh wait until the end of this chapter. HUGE list to go through for ideas._

 _..Screw it. Pre-story A/N is already lengthy, I'll just stuff all my ideas down below at the Post-story A/N._

 _Hold on to your hats, it's PLOT TIME. By the way, I'm so on a roll like butter. Next chapter is already like one fourth done. Might see the end of this story by this weekend!_

* * *

As fires raged all around with discharges of thunder shattering the earth through loud claps, Vortogk started to approach the two females. Did he really just say what they thought he just said?

"Child of- What are you talking about?" Weiss demanded to know even though she had absolutely no authority over the demon in rank or power. With a derisive snort and a smug smirk he pointed at Ruby, his two lower hands resting on two of his swords' hilts.

 **"You know nothing.. How amusing."**

"I know whatever grudge you have against people with silver eyes stops here. I won't let her become another victim of your mad plot!"

 **"Oh but you have no choice in the matter. You failed once, as did her parents. As we all probably know by now history does have the oddest tendency of repeating itself.."** He scowled as the vampire princess bared her fangs at him. Even Ruby was looking rather angry at how he boldly spoke of Qrow and Summer. **"Be realistic. Neither of you possess even a fraction of the strength needed to contest me and there will be no escape from this battlefield alive."**

The skeletal dragon above flew overhead with a roar, pelting several nearby Crossbreakers with green and white fireballs before several explosive blasts by guided missiles took it out of the sky with a resounding crash. It seemed that the vampires were even stooping to human militaristic weaponry in their fight against the undead. Their surroundings were gradually becoming overtaken by the demon's forces, the ranks of the dead shrinking back. Before the two had even realized it the lines were being pushed and redrawn, finding themselves distanced from any close help.

 **"Do both of yourselves a favor and submit. Kneel, and I will guarantee your heads come off cleanly and quickly."**

Cue someone spitting.

Ruby actually spat at Vortogk as he approached, stopping him about fifteen feet away. The demon growled, his knuckles cracking as he then broke formation to start marching towards her more quickly ignoring/swatting away the few undead that tried to interfere. Weiss tried to hold her back as she took her own steps forward and reached out, jabbing at Vortogk and connecting with a fist of his own. To the surprise of all three he was the one that folded, hand coming back with an uncomfortably sounding crack and a hiss.

 **"Strong.. So you're not just a patchwork doll. Is that minotaur blood I smell?"** Massaging his hand after taking a short hop back he grinned at her own busted hand due to the sharp formation of his knucklebone blades. **"Whoever raised you is extremely capable, making a wight that could hold a being like yourself."**

"What being? I'm just human. Well, was.." Ruby said with a confused look on her face, partially angered. All of the mystery surrounding her eyes and her family, and this monster responsible for ruining her life not once but twice, the girl wanted _answers_ and she wanted them _now._

 **"It's nothing. Nothing you need to be concerned with when your end approaches. Enough talk, I-"** Stop. Full brakes. His eyes zeroed in on Ruby like a descending bird of prey's, specifically that wounded hand. The injuries were slightly more than what they had been in the aftermath of the blow and being a demon the very faintest glow of white emitting from them in the way of an unmistakable power were impossible to not notice. The vampiric girl he knew would more or less not be able to sense it until it was greater but this feeling..

An extension of his hand with the forefinger aimed their way and a roar was a call to action, diverting the efforts of his coven towards the two undead females and converging them upon them. Weiss immediately made a cupping motion with her hand and raised it out causing pikes of darkness to sprout from her shadow. Several Crossbreakers were impaled and dusted, others rushing over or around with claws and weapons high. They seemed more intent on targeting Ruby than Weiss, much to their shock finding that she was just as capable and then some of defending herself than before.

A punch lashed out at a sledgehammer coming for her skull, smashing the head to pieces and barreling on into the wielder's jaw. That too caved in from the sheer force, teeth sent everywhere as she felt that bone break in two and they went flying back a good twenty feet before even touching the ground. When a longsword came from the side it was caught between grown claws, cracking and shattering the blade with just a bit of extra pressure. Her fingers slashed and tore right through that Crossbreaker's neck, taking it off with a rough severance. They exploded into ashes and within seconds over a dozen vampires had been annihilated as shadows and ice shards filled her vision in a flurry of attacks.

Weiss stood transfixed, just as amazed at Ruby's newfound strength as she was. Examining her arms as if they'd grown extra fingers or something the girl let out a quiet 'whoa', blood pounding and muscles surging to the point where she could actually feel it. Vortogk let out a hissing snort through his nose and started stomping towards the two through the crowd of vampires, reaching at Weiss with a snarl. The flick of something bright and cold came swishing just in front of his face in an upward slice and instantly halted his progression. Like snakes, tendrils of darkness wrapped around the point of a freshly crafted rapier made of ice and fused into it, dyeing it jet black and filling through the rest of the weapon.

 **"I can see that you two intend to resist as much as possible.. What is it that drives you to fight against certain fate? Spite? Hope?"** The demon asked with a shake of the head.

"Both I'd say." Weiss snipped back, adjusting her hair out of her face and taking a fencing stance. One arm behind the back, foot forward, shoulders straight, eyes locked dead on her target.. A quick glance aside to check on Ruby who was standing slightly hunched over and holding that injured hand of hers. It had already started healing but it was still bleeding, and there was something odd about the way the wounds themselves closed yet continued to stretch. Something she couldn't place..

 **"Useless and wasted effort it will all be for naught. You insist on this pitiful resistance when I offered you both fair deaths and now I will ensure your pain will be without end. First one, then the other."**

"I don't plan on losing."

"And I don't either."

"And we're not giving up until it's over."

The vampiress smiled as Ruby stepped beside her, shaking a bit of blood from her hand onto the dark earth. All around them battles still raged, even with the demonic forces clearly having the upper hand in strength the legions of the dead were a buckling many that refused to break. Roars of the elements sounded across the battlefield amidst those of demons, vampires, and various undead monsters tearing at eachother without restraint or mercy.

"Yeah.. Ruby, listen. This demon. He's.."

"Strong. I know. But we have to beat him. We can't let him get away with this."

"It's not going to be easy and if things start getting bad.. I want-"

"No."

The girl clenched both fists, staring down Vortogk as she spoke. The shadow demon scowled back and opened one hand, a red ball of energy filling it before molding into the shape of a scimitar with a spiked handguard and a gut hook worked into the end of the blade. A second appeared in another hand, both of their glows fading as they turned into black blades with golden handles that had runes inscribed on the sides.

"This is the worst place for quitter talk, I won't accept it! I'm not gonna leave you either! We do this together or not at all, not that we really have a choice.." Her tone was adamant as she turned to Weiss, her nails growing out another inch as she prepared for the next attack. The Crossbreakers were starting to creep forward along with their master, those symbols on their foreheads starting to pulse with a sinister power and fill their eyes with red fires.

"You idiot.. I was going to say I want you to stay by me. I watched you die once, I'm not doing it again. I'll keep you safe so stick close, got it? Promise me."

Ruby grinned, nodding her head and raising her claws. She'd been about ready to pounce on the closest vampire when her arm suddenly spasmed, skin tearing in several places as if it'd been cut. It caused her to let out a short yelp of pain, distracting Weiss long enough for Vortogk to blast forward and execute an X-formation cross slash. If her reflexes had been a quarter-second slower that would have been the end of her, his scimitars igniting with flames that felt hot just to be near. Her black ice rapier was quickly used to intercept both but instead of catching them she was sent skidding back a good distance, stopping when she embedded into the ground like a stake to stop herself.

Ruby was holding her arm as it began to bleed from the rips and looked up just in time to see the flat side of one of Vortogk's swords come and connect with her, launching her a few dozen yards away into the midst of more twisted vampires and demons. Leaving the execution of her death in their care the shadow demon started pacing towards the princess, scimitars spun into reverse grips.

 **...**

"Ooow what the heck?" Something was seriously wrong. Those rips hurt, as did her hand which was practically fully healed. The damage from that monster's knuckles had become undone but the length of the gouges still remained. Not only that but the areas around those wounds and that of her new ones felt hot and seared like a sunburn. It hadn't been some kind of attack from Vortogk, of that she was mostly certain.

Scratch that. They hurt a _lot._ Her arm felt like it was going to break just by using it to push herself up off of the floor. As a horde started to rush after the isolated wight the pain subsided somewhat as adrenaline took over, fueling her will to fight when they closed in. A humanoid looking imp tried to impale her with a pronged sparking pitchfork only to have it gripped and wrenched from its grasp. In a way. Actually it was the reverse, Ruby swinging it around and using the imp like a bludgeoning head against two other vampires before smacking it onto the ground. Then it was flung off with another sharp swing. The accursed weapon started to sizzle, feeling like steel that had sat directly in the sun too long in her hands forcing her to get rid of it by throwing it like a javelin into a taller towering demon's chest. As it hit the ground several Crossbreakers ran/jumped over its back, Ruby meeting them head on.

She caught the jumper in mid-flight, slamming it into the dirt before more tried to pile onto her. The way they savagely tried to get as close as possible and attack with reckless abandon, it wasn't normal. Something was very off about them, likely the way their eyes and foreheads had started to glow. Were they being imbued with demonic essence or perhaps controlled in some way? She wouldn't put it past the demon to do something like that. Whatever it was, it caused an even worse reaction as more rips and tears formed in other places on her body. Her midsection, her back and legs.. They weren't debilitating or even deep but they stung with a very hot and sharp pain. The claws and teeth of those trying to dogpile her however were a bit more serious. Letting out a loud shout more akin to a screeching roar she found another well of strength, standing and picking up her oppressors. They would find themselves being lifted and then smashed into whatever was nearby in an effort to remove them. The side of a crypt, a tree, their comrades, a large marker.. When they all finally let go one would scramble to their feet only to catch a tombstone crashing into their front and completely taking them out of the fight.

 **...**

Sparks flew as their weapons clashed, their dueling movements having more the appearance of a dance rather than a fight. Every time he slashed she parried, every time she stabbed he deflected, every time one tried to close the distance the other stepped aside or stepped back giving neither the advantage.

 **"Such skill with a blade, I'm quite reluctant to kill you Schnee. I know your family has produced many great nobles in their time."** Vortogk said with a hollow laugh as he pressed against her rapier with his scimitar, keeping her struggling to stand upright despite the fact she was using both hands and he only one.

"I'm sure you are but I'm certainly not."

Weiss grit her teeth and shoved, planting her forward foot firmly in the ground. The demon didn't budge. Curse him and his damnable unholy strength.. Hearing a loud roar and a few explosions that sounded like crumbling and shattering stone the vampiress risked a look over her shoulder to see what was going on, rattled by Ruby's new inexplicable wounds that resembled the ones on her hand. Instead of trying to take advantage of that and overpower her Vortogk would chuckle as he followed her gaze.

 **"That girl is indeed something else, but I'm not so reluctant to be rid of her. When I've dealt with you she'll die. Slowly while you watch on helpless to save her."**

"What the Hell is your problem with silver eyes? What do you know that I don't?" This was _really_ starting to grate on her nerves. First 'Graham' and now this arrogant demon, both of them knew something very important about Ruby that neither of them were aware of and were keeping her in the dark.

Vortogk's smirk would fade, his voice falling to a serious whisper as he leaned over and closer to Weiss. Being extremely uncomfortable with the distance instead of wavering under his might was the reason she tilted back with a grimace, her rapier shaking as she took a retreating step.

 **"Do you believe in the afterlife, Schnee?"**

Weiss wasn't a devout follower of the faith but knowing of the holy powers that priests could wield and now with Ruby's resurrection and meeting a demon face to face she wasn't certain.

"Somewhat. Why? Wait.. When you called her a child of the angels- Don't tell me you're seriously thinking-"

 **"Do you have time for a story?"**

Weiss just stared, the sounds of conflict permeating the silence their voices and actions used to fill. When the pressure came off of her rapier and she nearly tripped forward the vampiress slowly looked up at him. Time for a story? They were in the middle of a _war!_ Plus hadn't he said something about not wasting time talking..? Wait, the answers she sought. It took no more than that single thought process of 'he's willing to tell me' and she kept her mouth shut.

 **"I suppose it doesn't matter if I tell you. You'll be disposed of soon enough and that girl's body will deteriorate before it has a chance of activating.."** Vortogk's blades dispersed after turning bright red, the flames ceasing and their embers flickering into the air as he crossed both sets of arms. Weiss sorely wanted to just try to charge and skewer him but somehow she got the feeling he'd be expecting that.

 **"..Angels and demons. I stand before you as proof of the existence of the latter, and the former.. That girl."** He pointed in Ruby's direction. She could still hear her fighting, wanting to rush to her side but as more Crossbreakers bolted past them which caused her to shield with her rapier out of reflex, the chance to do so slimmed down to nil. **"Many eons past, there was a grand war waged in the Afterlife by our kind against the angels. Outnumbered sorely and lacking a ruler to unite them like we had, Luciferon the Fallen, their defeat was to be a prolonged inevitability. Except.."**

A war between angels and demons? Luciferon? Weiss had never heard of such things. Either this person was a lot older than he appeared or he was making things up as he went along to delay her. Keeping her weapon trained on him as he began to pace around her she raised an eyebrow, re-stating his 'except' as a question.

 **"Except they found a hero to rise up and lead their defence. A human named-"**

"St. Michael the Archangel."

 **"-St. Michael the Archangel."**

 **"So you have heard the tales."** Vortogk whispered, smirking as they spoke at the same time.

"It took me a few seconds. I don't particularly care for the stories of the heavens' servitors so forgive me if I haven't committed them to perfect memory." She snipped, baring fangs in warning as he took a daring step closer. Being a dark type of undead why would one pay much attention to such things?

 **"A man who chose to remain in the light never to reincarnate and sought to become an angel. A man of unshakable faith and unbreakable conviction, peerless with blade and kind words, the epitome of a good samaritan and a model of justice and good."**

"Sounds like a real award winner."

 **"The thought of such a pure being sickens me."** Vortogk snarled in disgust. **"But just when victory was in our grasp and the angels began to despair, he stood alone against the tide of darkness and cut into it like a white knife of light. Refusing to believe in the possibility that he'd fail he sanctified the battlefield wherever he went, rallying support and morale among them. Such was the grandeur of his actions that the Thrones acknowledged him and ascended him to the status of an Archangel, a defender of the heavens. Becoming the commander of the resistance he began to push us back and repelled our advances time and time again, turning what was to be a bloody slaughter into a violent deadlock of attrition. Eventually our ruler's hand was forced and His presence was required, challenging St. Michael directly. Because St. Michael had gained such tremendous power over centuries of conflict and millennia of communion with the divine.. He.. Emerged victorious."**

It was clear as day and something that Weiss secretly savored, the taste of bitter venom in his voice as he said those three words.

 **"With the head removed, our army began to crumble and fracture. The Archdemons and Archfiends attempted to hold it together and we threw everything we had at the angels, only to fall short in failure. We lost the battle and the war, but we got the last laugh."** The shadow demon chuckled, relaxing all four arms and sporting a Cheshire grin. **"The few surviving angels were contaminated by infectious darkness, the heavens plagued by an unholy shadow. In the ultimate sacrifice St. Michael expended every bit of his power and dispersed his very soul like cremated ashes on the wind. It cleansed their souls and the world of light they lived in, but could not save their lives. They too joined the humans in Death's domain, to be sentenced for their 'good' actions and 'evil' deeds and serve a time wherever they were sent until their next life."**

Weiss' mind was running as fast as a hamster in a wheel, trying to piece together all of this information while simultaneously checking to make sure Ruby was alright and still watch Vortogk in case he tried something. Suddenly Graham being over 20000 years old sounded more believable than this grand epic the demon was telling her of.

"So what does this have to do with Ruby or her silver eyes?" She finally asked. Vortogk would look towards her and then Ruby as he started to speak.

 **"Whether you are a mere human, a mighty dragon lord, a werekin, an animal, demon and angel alike, we all have souls that must be judged by Death and then sentenced to return to this world when our time in the Afterlife is served. While demon souls generally return as monsters or savage beasts, or particularly nasty humans.. The angels returned with the power of St. Michael's purest essence inside their souls as a result of his sacrifice, a most divine power from one of the most powerful angels to have ever existed. Known as the Archangel's Bane, it is a power said to be able to utterly destroy any evil it touches. What exactly it is even I am not sure, rumors exist of its activation in a number of individuals countable on one hand and verifiable by none."**

"Hold it, you think Ruby is a reincarnated angel?"

 **"No, I know this isn't the case. However she is a descendant of one such individual. Living as humans with their holy power sealed in their mortal forms, their reproduction has lead to the creation of lineages that angelic essence and blood runs in the veins of. Only pure human offspring have shown the sign.."**

"Silver eyes." Weiss whispered to herself, receiving a nod that she had guessed correctly.

 **"Precisely. It is a genetic sign that they are descended from reincarnated angels and humans who were born of the original surviving generation. Undoubtedly when they die they take their place in the heavens as blessed humans or perhaps newborn angels. Unless one were to do something.. Extreme."** The way his grin spread even wider as his hands suddenly lit with black flames unnerved her. **"Souls corrupted after death or ones that remain tethered by their emotions, even denied their passing, will be sent to Limbo where they very well may never return. One could also simply destroy their soul, and that is what I have been doing as I hunted down those silver warriors over the past few thousand years."**

"You sick bastard!"

If they had been paying attention everything within earshot would have heard her curse loud and clear, and if only the carnage around them hadn't drowned her out from their ears. "Destruction of the soul.. You're a monster. A cruel sick and twisted monster!"

 **"Oh do compliment me more, girl. I might just allow you to become one of my vassals, perhaps even a concubine. Surely nobody would suspect foul play if you just.. Disappear."**

Vortogk shook with loud laughter as Weiss gripped her rapier, shaking from anger and ready to end this little story time so she could make him into a pincushion. She believed none of it. A war in the Afterlife, angels and demons walking among them without anyone realizing it, Ruby being an angel's descendant.. It all sounded so ludicrous.

"Forget it.. I've had enough of your babbling. This was a waste of time."

 **"Believe it or not, I care not. It doesn't matter in the end. I won't have to worry much longer and neither will you. When I'm rid of her I'll then seek out my next hunts. Having my own personal bloodsucking sledgehammer to swing about makes it much easier to kill them off without drawing unwanted attention. I must acknowledge while I believe myself quite powerful there are beings who dwarf even my might. I wonder if you all would sleep less soundly, knowing that such entities exist that could lay waste to your cities in a mere fortnight?"** Again with the raucous demonic chuckling..

Weiss gripped her rapier even tighter, threatening to crack the ice-made hilt before she took a relaxing breath or three and refocused. Her stance was up once more as Vortogk turned to face her directly, tilting his head aside to avoid a stray rocket that came flying past. So he _was_ using the Crossbreakers. It was obvious they were possessed but the vampiress didn't think they were being controlled. This had infuriated her even more but she kept her cool, preparing to enter combat once more with the shadow demon. In a quick motion he reached down to grip the hilts of those colorful glass longswords of his.

Drawing them forth alternatively each one would be brandished amidst an expulsion of their respective element along with a calling. Sylph, a gust of wind blowing around the opening. Gnome, sand spurted from the sheath and blew away in the previous. Undine, water gushed out from inside and pooled at his feet. Salamander, a ring of fire exploded around the entrance. Each blade glowed, pale green, sandy brown, deep blue, and bright red. Even after they were drawn the elements still reacted to their movements, air swirling around the first as dust particles weakly trailed after the second whenever it came close to the ground. The Undine blade had a cold fog seeping from the length and the Salamander sword radiated an intense heat that seemed to not affect the demon.

She knew she was in for the fight of her un-life now.

 **...**

This pain was unbearable. Her entire body felt like it was being consumed in fire. Her cuts bled profusely and made it difficult to focus. The Crossbreakers' ranks seemed to be as thick as ever though even with their numbers preventing a proper line of sight she could tell Weiss was doing her best.

"I have to get to Weiss.. We're gonna die if we stay split up like this." Ruby muttered to herself, ducking as a few tomahawks came flipping past her. Like a snake she snatched one out of the air and flung it back, nailing the thrower right in the forehead and splitting it like a watermelon. The crack of a whip sounded at her back, leaving a long gash and eliciting a loud hiss from the wight. There wouldn't be a second strike for the next time it lashed towards the girl she caught it around her wrist and reeled the holder to her with a powerful yank, uppercutting them hard enough to break their neck and lower jaw.

No matter how many she killed they fearlessly charged through the ashes of their fallen or over the broken bodies and corpses of their allies. The mysterious wounds spreading across her body were becoming too much to take. Somehow someway she had to get to Weiss and figure out some method of escape. Where was Graham? If anyone he would be able to help them.

A break. There was a single break in the movements of the undead and vampires where she could see the battle between Vortogk and Weiss. Much to her horror it was one Weiss was losing.

 **...**

Her attacks had little effect on him. Skill with a deadly weapon was no longer enough when his supernatural powers trumped hers. The shadow demon was utilizing each of the four prime elements to his advantage, overtaking her use of two elements. With a ringing clang she was sent skidding back from a fierce blow, covering her normal eye with one hand as the other glowed a bright cyan. Suddenly a blooming cluster of ice spikes erupted from underneath Vortogk, melted away with a horizontal slash from the flaming blade. A series of mad slices in front of him sent consecutive waves of airblades towards her that whittled down a quickly emerging frozen kiteshield before a straightforward burning meteor of magma blew it to pieces. A second storm of air slashes launched more blades that the vampiress wasn't fast enough to deflect, many of them cutting into her skin and across her body.

Clutching a gouge under her left breast Weiss still managed to hold her rapier up at a 45 degree angle, her cold eye closed as she gasped for breath. All around them fires raged, muddled puddles of water littering the diameter of where they had fought and the cracks and fissures abound in the dirt too filling with water. While Weiss looked like she was about ready to collapse her opponent was standing tall and with an extremely condescending glower.

 **"Pathetic.. I expected more from your initial display. Perhaps you have grown soft and unaccustomed to fighting like the vampires of old were. That's what happens when your family loses their fangs and decides to try and play nice with lesser species."**

"Shut.. Up.. About my family.."

Vortogk stared at her for a few seconds, not extending their conversation further. Instead he began to do something strange, chanting in a malicious echoing voice what was presumably a demon language. Those four blades began to vibrate and resonate, each one shattering as they were held pointing away from himself. At a locus of powerful dark magic those shards swirled into the vague shape of a new and towering blade before pressing together with a force that kicked up violent winds all around him. She was blinded and couldn't see through all the dust.

What emerged from the combination spell and hovered in front of him was a tall broadsword formed of what looked like obsidian, many ornamental cracks sizzling with magma inside as the tip took on a molten shine. From slits along the sharp sides oozed lava that dripped onto the ground for a few moments as a superheated wave of hot air bellowed in place of the cool winds from before. Weiss wasn't really sure if her own weapon could stand up to something like that but before she could think of how to counter it a single slash ripped right through it and into her. A straight downward slash that caused the broadsword to sink into the earth as if it were gelatin and tore her open from collar to waist. The rapier then split in two, leaving her with crumbling ice shards and exhuming shadows in hand before fading.

The strength she needed to stand faded in the same moment as a splash of blood obscured her vision, hearing someone scream her name and a vengeful roar.

 **...**

Things were taking a turn on a dime for the worse. Weiss had just been cut down and everything was going so wrong with her own body she didn't know what to do. The enemy was closing in fast and Vortogk was standing over Weiss as she lay in a pool of water that was rapidly turning darker and redder. Ruby was mentally _freaking out_ in a near panic attack, incredibly scared she was about to see another loved one die before her eyes. Already her mother, her father..

The wight dug into one last vein of strength hidden deep inside, pushing down her agonizing pain as she smashed aside an incoming Crossbreaker. Make it in time, make it in time, _make it in time!_

Like a rolling juggernaut that nobody wanted to step in front of she steamrolled over multiple vampires and demons alike in a direct line to her, screaming all the way and after summoning the last of her furious might would launch a straight punch at Vortogk. He didn't pay much attention to her approach initially and only swiped his floating quad-element sword in her direction, very deeply regretting it when she knocked it clear out from where it hovered. How it didn't shear right through her fingers and fillet her arm he couldn't fathom, the second thing going through his mind almost being her claws when another blow came flying around to impact the side of his skull.

The shadow demon landed well over thirty yards away with an audible crunching thud, giving his soldiers pause as they looked his way. The sword came down some distance from him on its hilt, clattering as it smacked off of the roof of a mausoleum and thumped on the dirt. Reaching up Vortogk let out a light hiss as he touched the spot she struck, realizing that it must have been those strange energies shielding her when she attacked.

Ruby fell to her knees, tenderly reaching out to Weiss. Her nails slowly retracted to grasp an offered hand as the other traced along that fatal gash stretching across her front. Fatal were it on any lesser being. A vampire of such a caliber as herself could survive it if given a blood transfusion in time but like hungry dogs the Crossbreakers circled and were both denied and repulsed by a flower of black ice that formed around them for a brief instant before exploding.

Both of them were spent and worn down to the last, both of them weary of fighting, both of them unsure if they could hold on for much longer. As she took in the approaching silhouettes through the icy fog that resulted from her last attack Weiss wheezed, trying to speak over the blood in her mouth.

"Ruby.."

"Weiss, I'm right here! Don't worry I'm gonna get you out. You'll be alright! Just don't close your eyes.. Please!"

So tired, gods how she looked so tired as she tried to lift her head and struggle to a standing position. Far behind Ruby the vampiress could see Vortogk preparing something insidious and terrible in his hands, a flat triangle of red light woven in the air around a hovering orb of darkness that was growing in size every second. The dangerous waves of power he and it were letting off were as good as any sign that he planned to kill them both in one shot, and so her next course of action was all too easily decided.

"Heh.. Keep you safe.. I can't even.. Protect myself.. Just go. Run.."

"I said I'd stay with you and I meant it!"

"I'm sorry.. You have.. To break that promise.."

"I'd rather die than leave you here Weiss, I won't do it!"

She coughed, flecking her new clothes with fresh blood. Not that they weren't already coated in her own or those of the demonic legions that poured into Reaper's Escape. Gripping both of Ruby's wrists and prying them free with what little energy she could muster Weiss would drop back onto the ground with a heave as spindly shadow hands stretched from the ground and picked the wight up underneath her arms. They then flung her haplessly away from where she lay, out of reach of the nearby Crossbreakers. As Ruby scrabbled to slow and stop her slide and rush back to Weiss' side everything seemed to slow down, everything around her becoming silent. With an earthshaking tremor that unholy magic spell was released issuing forth a red laser of pure malevolence that incinerated all in its path.

That path lead directly to where Weiss was and Ruby had been, Ruby letting out one final scream as the light began to blur out her form. Through the glow she could barely make out how Weiss mouthed her last words before being consumed in a sky-high explosion of crimson energies, smoke, and ash.

'I love you.'

As the nova rattled the landscape she hit the ground on her knees, arms hanging limply at her sides. That excruciating full body pain was nothing to what she felt in her undead heart at that moment. Like it'd been ripped in half several times over. Her silver eyes stared at the scene before her open wide in disbelief, gradually starting to stream tears from each. Through the ringing in her ears she could hear the howls of the Crossbreakers, their master's deep maniacal cackling, her own sobs as she completely broke down.. She could hear their footsteps but her fighting spirit had been completely extinguished. Her parents, Weiss, this demon was going to take everything from her before he took her life. Rather than tear her apart on the spot they roughly snatched her up, holding her at the mercy of the slowly approaching Vortogk. Her skin burned like fire worse than ever before and her flesh felt like it would tear right from the bone. His malicious grin was wide and his eyes glistening with an onyx sheen full of self-satisfaction and why not? Everything was going his way today. True his subordinates had failed but he himself had not. The legions of undead were all but shattered, the necromancers long gone and one of the two thorns in his side now obliterated without any remains to leave behind.. Or so he thought.

Vortogk had commanded the ones holding Ruby to raise her higher into a standing position when he halted. The hot dust had not yet settled and arcs of red lightning still flickered about but something was still moving inside the blast radius of his attack, somehow. The demon's curiosity piqued it would cause him to take a look back to see what new presence had come to interfere with his plans.

What he felt greatly disturbed him, an undead force so powerful it rivalled his own demonic power. Those crimson sparks turned a vivid forest green and dissipated as a hallow echoing voice called from within, each phrase increasing the magic density around it by several margins.

 _"We gather under the wicked moon, its light casting shadows into a pit of condemnation over which loom blackened crags that throughout the winds of plague blow to carry a deathly stench from the innumerable corpses that lay within. Upon those hills you stand as I reign above them all from the dark court, my words the heraldry of an otherworldly arbiter. I am the jury that reviles your actions, the judge that sentences your fate, my blade the executioner that will take away all that you have, and Death the bailiff that removes you from this world. I spake of doom befalling you, by Death's will it shall be as I proclaim for I decree with its guidance from atop one thousand bloody precipices."_

All of a sudden that condensed magic filled the entire battlefield, pillars upon pillars of bone sundering the earth for over two hundred yards in every direction. They reached for the sky, impaling and goring Crossbreakers all around causing a storm of ashes to blow through as they died. Demons shrieked in agony before succumbing to the savage growths of the fifteen foot protrusions branching out inside them like flowers as they extended and punctured their bodies.

The one stand- Floating in the epicenter of that massacring magic was none other than Graham, the jesting lich that was responsible for Ruby's rebirth. One wouldn't even recognize him with all the additions however for he looked.. Regal. Noble. Far from the naked skeleton he was before.

A thick black robe covered his slightly hunched form, coarse purple fur lining the edges of it and a gold barbed crown atop his skull which now had a diamond shaped hollow between the eyes above the bridge of the nose. The head had no lower jaw and along with that glowing green light a pale mist seeped from inside and out of each orifice. Gliding slowly over the earth he would come to a stop in front of Weiss who Ruby was extremely relieved to see had sustained no further wounds in that gigantic blast.

A sceptre made of wood with what looked like a freakish serrated claw attached to the bottom end phased into Graham's hand, the top end having an even more twisted skull that had long curving upper teeth and four hollows for eyes, long dried bloodstains inscribed across it in what appeared to be Aztecan or Mayan style hieroglyphs. That object starting emitting a hideously black aura when it was summoned, pulsing with a visible ring of green energy every second. A sweep of it caused all the bone formations obscuring the realm to explode in sets, showering any survivors with shards of bone.

"You.. Are so late.."

"Glad to see you're still alive Ms. Schnee, and as stubborn as ever to not heed my words."

Weiss' eyes fluttered, opening wide as she took in the lich's new appearance. This cemented her belief that he was far more than some mere necromancer. The level of power he currently emitted, the intense magics he possessed..

 **"You.."** Was all Vortogk said before pointing at Graham. Well over half his army had just been decimated in a single spell's casting but with no concern for their own lives many of the remaining forces started charging for the lich. Pointing back at the shadow demon with that sceptre he again began to chant, a shadow rising from his own as he mumbled. A good handful were coming within reach when that shadow took a more definitive if wispy ghostly shape. That of a spectral black phantom with hood drawn over a skeletal white face and ancient bony hands that grasped a very long scythe with a very large blade. It hovered over his back and in the wake of a 540 degree spin from the caster would mimic that action by rotating blindingly fast two and a half times with scythe extended. Rather than simply cut it split from tip to haft at the start of its swing revealing steel teeth in between each prong, hewing every vampire and demon within a ten foot radius right in half. Their bifurcated bodies toppled to the ground before blowing up in puffs of red ashes that sizzled like lit gunpowder and disappeared.

But he wasn't done yet.

 _"High in a void eclipsed by dark clouds you witness my plight and I beseech thee, smite my tormentors with your absolute might. Colder than ice is the heart that calls upon your favor, darker than night the soul that seeks your intervention, with no quarter rain devastation harder than the most furious storm upon them and chill their beings through the core. God of cold white silence, let loose a fury divine!"_

A massive white circular glyph appeared miles into the sky, shimmering cyan before fading as thick and dark cumulous clouds obscured it from sight. The air around and below it dropped to subzero temperatures as thunder boomed and flashes of lightning perforated the clouds, illuminating very briefly a humongous unspeakable figure amidst them as it unfolded its frost covered arms and aimed one open palm down towards the ground of Reaper's Escape. It disappeared after another flash of lightning but when it did the whistling sounds of descending objects could be heard all around.

Icicles the length of longswords would start to fall from the skies like a deadly hail, riddling Vortogk's army and pinning almost everyone that was left standing. All but an extremely lucky few or ones like Vortogk himself, Graham, Weiss, and Ruby. They didn't fall near the other three and they'd simply evaporate before they got close to the first.

Ruby's eyes were open in shock as well, even Vortogk carefully eying the lich as he turned to face him. What in the world was this overwhelming power he was showing now and why did he never use it before? What had he been doing between the invasion and now?

"I simply hate uninvited guests."

 **"Of course you would have a hand in something like this.."** The demon snarled, pressing the end of his sword into the ground while one palm rest on the hilt and another held the handle. **"Last I heard you were causing trouble for a family of vampires, trying to overtake their castle.."**

"Something of that accord." Graham spun his sceptre in hand, releasing it to let it float in front of him. The storm subsided within moments and both by Weiss and at his sides several familiar figures warped into the location as spinning blurs. Necromancers. Unlike before their robes were adorned with sigils and older-looking than the others', having a stronger presence than them as well. "I'm surprised you'd remember who I am. You must have a good memory."

Barely cocking his head Vortogk would scowl, glaring at Graham and curling the fingers of his free two hands.

 **"It has been an epoch or two, King Gravespire. Though I suppose I can't say 'of Hellsreach' when the city no longer stands.."**

"I have my own world now and in a short time it's going to be populated by one less demon."

The two of them glared daggers at one another, auras rising in intensity as the 'Mexican Standoff' began.

* * *

 _A challenger approaches!_

 _Anybody who wanted to place bets on Weiss and Ruby, eeeeh don't try gambling. So we just got a lot of stuff thrown at us. History and further explanation of the whole silver eyes thing. Really this has been in setup since the Crossbreakers were mentioned but I think decided to expand on this story was a good way to actually explain that. I might have developed a little since decided to delve further into the story but most of it isn't new, just stuff I never would have gotten around to in this story if I hadn't decided to. God I hope I didn't screw up with any inconsistencies or plotholes._

 _Anyway, here. I'mma plop down all my ideas on the docket thus far. Again I'm gonna ask for reviews so I can get your opinions on what to write next. Or even just what you think of the ideas. It's a lot because my brain is way too overactive. I'll probably have like two more by the time I upload this. Oh by the way my fellow God Eaters. God Eater 2: Rage Burst is OUT. Get it nao or be square._

 _1\. A StarCraft based crossover, Yang is a mercenary who pilots one of the elite Crucio Siege Tanks and Weiss is a Terran raised among Protoss. Freezerburn. Probably takes place after/around Wings of Liberty or Heart of the Swarm? M+ for possibly situations._

 _2\. A more modern Bumblebee AU. Blake is a police officer working for the VCPD and Yang is a member of a notorious gang. Focuses around rehabilitation and whatnot, Dust is actually a drug in this AU with different effects based on color and composition. M+ for themes, language, and situations._

 _3\. A Seamonkeys fic where Neptune decides to play wingman for Sun and lace his clothes with a tiny bit of catnip to get him and Blake together. Backfires in a good way. Humor/Romance, should be K+/T._

 _4\. Friendship Ladybug. After Ruby catches Blake in the act of smoking something that certainly isn't a cigarette (it's really just catnip), she gets fake-peer pressured into trying to smoke with her in order to see how she reacts, and teach her a lesson about being responsible. T, probably M due to content? Not sure how drug use is categorized._

 _5\. Fallout series based crossover. Haven't thought much on this but the Grimm would comprise the radiated monsters. Probably M just to be safe._

 _6\. Total crack songfic. Neptune randomly appears with Team CRDL as his backup singers and dancers in the lunch hall of Beacon and they do 'Shiny Teeth and Me' by Chip Skylark. Which you'd think Sky Lark would main but he's neither cool nor shiny enough. K._

 _7\. ScrapWorld (working AU title, actual is Steel Heart, Iron Thorns) AU, what's left of humanity is confined to the fractured moon of Fragment with small numbers living/traveling on the surface of Remnant after a global war many centuries ago pushed it to the brink of being inhospitable. Sci-fi/Adventure/Mecha, M+, Ruby-centric. White Fang and the SDC are two major and rival divisions of Fragment's army, Fragment is split into four tethered sections, the quadrants (Kingdoms) Vale, Vacuo, Mistral, and Atlas. Centers on Ruby's discovery of the truth behind the war and the origins of the sentient machines (Grimm Gears?) that roam it freely and the war machines they've unearthed. M+_

 _8\. Friendship Seamonkeys. Sun finds out Neptune is also afraid of heights, and he brings Blake along to help him try to overcome it. K+_

 _9\. GrimmLords AU/Call of the Grimm. In the wake of Salem's attack, mysterious beings start to emerge from the shadows. White skin, red eyes, various shades of hair colors and wielding both the powers of Hunters and the Grimm some seek to help her return mankind to dust, others fought for their own purpose and some chose greater power to fight the evil with. What truly ARE the Grimm and where did these beings come from? When a Kingdom long forgotten to the ages re-appears in the world the stage is set for the greatest battles Remnant has ever seen. Very long term AU of diverged canon, no idea what the rating may be, works off of my concept/take of Grimm and human/Faunus hybrids called the GrimmLords._

 _10\. Martial Hearts. I know this one has been done before buuut I wanna try the idea too. Yang having a new shotgun arm made courtesy of Ironwood leads to one kickboxing individual's realization they might have a few more things in common. Part Yang x Ironwood (not romantic) and mostly Yang Mercury (probably eventually romantic). T rating._

 _11\. Told y'all about this one buuut modern high school AU. Blake is a teacher at Vale high and a closet anime nerd, Ruby a student at that same school and a not-so-closeted otaku. When they meet up at a bookstore to both get ahold of the last copy of the same manga, friendship blooms and possibly something more. M+ for alcohol, language, adult situations. Romantic Ladybug and obviously age gap, if that's not your thing don't read. Romance but also Drama._

 _12\. Greatly diverged canon AU, Friendship Monochrome. Out on a stroll one night at her father's estate an heiress who never went to Beacon has a run-in with an assassin that never left her roots. T/M._

 _13\. Flipfloppity of the above, again diverged canon and Friendship Monochrome. As a child Weiss learns of the hardships of Faunus in greater detail, somehow befriending a young Cat Faunus girl at one of the White Fang's more peaceful rallies against her father's company. Lots of Drama, M for language and themes, possibly violence._

 _14\. The Advance Wars based crossover I mentioned. Ruby's a rebel guerilla CO fighting over in her native Atom Land, Weiss being a CO of Blue Moon and part of the detachments from the Allied Nations sent to explore the newly discovered Atom Land. Deals with the rise and invasion of White Nebula and the insurgence of Black Hole. Takes place after Dual Strike, not Days of Ruin/Dark Conflict setting, backstory will be explained for those who don't know the series. T?_

 _15\. Slightly crack fic and part of a crossover quartet, not AU. Weiss Schnee meets Jin Kisaragi of Blazblue after their respective partners fail to show up for a 'date' at a restaurant. Ruby Rose and Ragna the Bloodedge crash the party while they're getting to know eachother quite literally after getting into a duel. I would try to say T but Ragna is a potty mouth sooo.._

 _16\. Remainders of that quartet, exact details mostly still being worked on. Ruby Rose meets Maka Albarn of Soul Eater, Blake meets Kakashi Hatake of Naruto, and Yang gets to fight Little Mac from Punch-out! at a boxing gym. M+ just because I have ideas for that last one._

 _17\. Lost In The Shadows songfic. Blake is forced to hunt down Yang before it's too late when she learns Adam plans to finish what he started at the Battle of Beacon. T rating._

 _18\. Yay another Cardin redemption fic. After accidentally (but not regrettably) injuring Velvet during his bully antics and Coco nearly kills him, Cardin is ordered by Glynda to take Faunus sensitivity classes or be expelled from Beacon. Guess who he's stuck with as an advisor. *insert whatever their ship name is here*, but actually an attempt to explore why Cardin is such an ass towards Faunus. Not theory/headcanon, just story ideas. I guess rated T._

 _19\. OC-centric. Bullhead pilot by day and infamous mercenary by night, Jack Fonar (Jack lantern, see what I did thar) must call in his old partners to deal with a GrimmLord raising Hell in the Grimm Wilds outside Atlas. Rated T for Torgue because EXPLOSIONS. Probably M because language._

 _20\. Friendship and Humor. RWBY setting. When people realize Weiss is starting to pick up an unconscious habit from her blond teammate she is very unamused, and Yang tries oh so sincerely to help her deal with it. K+._

 _21\. Radiance AU, no working title. At first glance modern but having later portions of Fantasy AU where the Grimm are aliens that suck the life out of worlds by draining them of their 'life', the color of the planet and the spirit energy of the inhabitants. Living a life filled with whites, blacks, and lots of grays as their efforts have made the human race apathetic and ignorant of their condition, Weiss is in for a blinding revelation when three girls wielding radiant auras and auroral weapons flip it upside down. T?_

 _22\. Western/Supernatural AU fic with Romance, Neo is a vigilante gunslinger out to discover the truth behind her parents' murders and seeks the infamous lawbreaker Roman Torchwick for answers. Armed with a legendary revolver, skills, and wits, she finds much more than she wanted. Neo x Torchwick, White Fang are essentially the Native Americans of the story, and the Grimmwraith are rare individuals with the power to shapeshift into monsters. M+ because it's a western and stuff._

 _23\. Fantasy AU Renora fic! Got all your goodies. Dwarves, elves, magic, monsters, undead, the whole shabang. Nora's a half human half dwarf hammersmith in search of forging the perfect warhammer and restoring an ancient relic her family has, and Ren's an elven monk/ranger who has been somewhat of a friend to her since they grew up that will probably get dragged into her shenanigans. M because violence in some scenes and especially with undead involved. Oh and language. Romance duh, Pink Lotus._

 _24\. Think this one might be more Supernatural? A mere human, when Ruby stumbles across a white haired lamia that harbors a grudge towards humans she doesn't know what to do. There's more to this lamia than meets the eye however and they'll both learn that humans and monsters aren't so much different in some aspects. M+. An AU with monsters and magic. Whiterose._

 _25\. Another OC-centric one. Follows the team from The Royal Test as they go on their first military enforcement type mission. Lots of Action, some Humor, a bit of Horror. They're ready to take on the Sahuagin Grimm, but are they ready for what lurks in the waters of Forever Fall or the one that leads it? GrimmLord appearance. M for language and violence._

 _26\. Time for some Arkos. Jaune is just a simple fisherman in a somewhat remote village, working with his annoying but dependable neighbor Cardin when a voyage takes a savage turn underneath a ferocious storm. Shipwrecked alone with no idea where he's landed his only hope comes in the form of a tall tan amazoness with brilliant red hair. Shipwrecked AU, M+ for later situations. Lots of Adventure, some Action, Supernatural even._

 _27\. Freezerburn again. Humor/Angst like you ever see that combo much. Yang catches on to the fact that Weiss has A-cup Angst and just has to go tease her about it. When enough is enough and Weiss blows up on her the blonde offers a solution. Massage therapy. Skeptical but willing, the heiress goes along and things play into Yang's favor from there. Straight up PWAEP (Porn With An Excuse Plot) with some funny. Romance maaaybe if you have a magnifying glass._

 _28\. Distant futuristic AU, Sci-fi, Action, and Romance. Ruby and Weiss are two rival mercenaries known as Crimson Glory and Iced Earth. When they cross paths on the same mission to steal data files on new age combat mechanoids the race is on, a heated race where they fight eachother as much as they do their target's defences. Whiterose, M+ for violence/blood, language. Twist ending._

 _29\. Derelict AU, more Sci-fi and Horror/Suspense. Ruby wakes up on a seemingly abandoned and wrecked spaceship with no memories and an alien voice in her mind. Not RWBY universe. M+ for gore/blood/violence._

 _30\. An AU similar to the previous with just as much Sci-fi and more Horror and Suspense. When contact with a carrier and the planetoid it was orbiting are entirely lost it's up to Galactic Ops team RWBY to find out why. More Action but there will be Tragedy so you're warned. M+ naturally._

 _31\. Modern AU that takes place in my fictional Kingdom of Grove, except it's not the RWBY version. When volunteer teacher/student Blake Belladonna runs into heiress of the Schnee Hotel Company Weiss Schnee at the grand opening of a new hotel on the outer archipelago, sparks fly. That is from the locking of their horns. Reluctantly they'll learn more about eachother than they planned when they're forced together on assignment, and perhaps realize a common interest. Monochrome, Romance. T rating._

 _Inspectre Offline_


	15. Rebirth

_Inspectre Online._

 _Quack._

 _That is all._

 _But not really. We got reviews, gotta update y'all on what's going on, I gotta blab about random crap because FF is my personal blog. Kindasorta. -ish. I don't do social networking like Twitters or the Facebooks so where else am I gonna keep anyone informed/entertained of my status (which would be better than leaving y'all totally in the dark if I disappear or don't update in awhile, right?). Really the only thing I do like that is email and Skype, which if anybody actually wants my Skype address I can totes give it but you gotta PM me._

 _Actually not much to talk about this A/N.. Work has been meh as meh, we got a circus jump next Sunday though and I know that's gonna be HELLA FUN ON A BUN. If you're not familiar with carnie terminology which is totally a thing, a circus jump is where on closing day of the fair all the rides get taken down and transported to the next spot where we immediately get spotted and on location soon as we get there because we open up like the day after or so. Yeah. Long hours like a mother-shut'chomouth. Looking at maybe.. 24 hours or more with no sleep sorta? Which I'm used to lack of sleep sometimes so no big whopper._

 _That aside it's time for delicious reviews! They are what sustain me and feed me the energy I need to raise my army of undead werehamsters. Oh and the compliments/constructive criticism and opinions are a bonus._

 _At Fate-chan2015: How did you even do that the story was up for like 5 minutes. You musta caught it when it just went live. Anyway, 24 eh? Hmm._

 _At GrnDrgnzrd: Somewhat of an alter ego, as for the Ice Tyrant.. Heh. Heheh._

 _Ruby's so close to a Limit Break it's not even funny. Will she survive to use it though..?_

 _"I expect you to die, Mr. Powers.." I dunno, label a dartboard and throw a dart while blindfolded? I think I see a pattern, the ones you picked are out of the ordinary and far ended on the spectrums of supernatural and sci-fi._

 _See you then!_

 _At timrocks99: That one eh? Another vote in the jar then._

 _At I need more Angst: The second oddest (no offence, that's actually a compliment from me) username I've seen. I don't think anyone is gonna top 'talkQWERTYtome' anytime soon. On to the actual review.._

 _Technically she's already dead, just undead, but yeah. ALMOST. Remember though almost only counts in horseshoes, hand grenades, and nuclear strikes. Glad to hear you like it and OOH welcome to the party new reviewer!_

 _Similar picks there. Yes clearly you love Angst so I'm surprised you didn't pick 27. I ike supernatural too and it's very very likely my next work will be one of the stories from the list. My muse tends to be very flippant sometimes but once I pick a project I prefer to stay on it until it's done. I don't like leaving stuff unfinished or hanging. Happens with writing my Roleplay characters though, of which I got like 110 and I think my RWBY OCs constitute 35-40 of them. I recently created a GrimmLord with the power of ice and snow that resides in the northernmost isle of Remnant. Wields a swordaxe with a hunting rifle built into it. Works kinda like the Switchaxe from Monster Hunter._

 _At AndreaAmai: 24.. I actually have a small tidbit of the first chapter done for that from when I got a burst of inspiration for it. I also have at least half of the Western/Supernatural Neo fic's first chapter done too. StarCraft has always been my favorite game, hands down. One of the first video games I ever played (as a kid even) because I lucked one on someone leaving a copy of the first CD in an apartment we moved into and we happened to have a computer.._

 _Weiss is easily one of my top 5 characters but as far as ships.. Freezerburn and Whiterose. I could dig Monochrome but North Pole (Weiss x Pyrrha) just seems kind of a stretch.. That doesn't mean I don't like it a little though. White Knight, eeeeh yeah I never saw that one leaving port but I don't have anything against it._

 _Alrighty! I'm not worried about making the A/Ns shorter, I just like responding to my mail all in one place. Plus make it known that I respect my readers and am always reading their input/opinions, enough to personally answer any and all mail I get. Except the hate mail which I've yet to receive. Freaks me out a tiny bit 'cause I can't tell if I'm just still unnoticed or have some decent writing skills. If I do get any haters or trolls around though I'll just sic a Savage Deviljho on 'em. Heck as long as it's constructive and the person's not being mean about it I'll even answer criticism._

 _Yeah Graham had stuffs he had to go do._

 _At Legolas Dragon Ranger: Can't really argue with that. There is NO kill like overkill. I know you haven't played WarCraft III but if you do get around to that, get both Reign of Chaos and The Frozen Throne. It covers everything *WARNING: WARCRAFT SPOILERS* from Thrall's ascension to warchief, Sylvanas' turning into an undead, Arthas' transformation into a Death Knight and the Lich King, the return of the Burning Legion, the creation of the Blood Elves/destruction of the Night Elves' tree of life, and Illidan's transformation into what he is now. Oh and Anub'arahk's death (pretty sure I spelled that wrong). And Grom Hellscream's. Which sucks because I liked Anub'arahk. Illidan was a damn beast before he evolved though and consuming the Skull of Guldan only made him more awesome. I mean first off he uses those dual glaive things and his unit quotes are EPIC._

 _"You dare speak to me?" "Are there demons nearby?" "You'll regret approaching me.."_

 _If that last one doesn't get you I dunno what will, and when he uses his ultimate to turn into this shadowy demon form his voice gets this cool deep reverberating effect that amplifies his awesomeness. Just a shame he looks not as cool in WoW than he did in WCIII._

 _I still might do something with the dragon theme. He and Yang have dragon themes in the show so, heheh. I plan for characters that didn't have much spotlight in this story to do more in the sequel, like Taiyang and Raven, Winter, etc._

 _Inorite. Some people might have inferred this by now but to piece it together for everyone (and it's not spoilers because all the information is present by now) he was the king of the city that surrounded the Zahne castle. Hellsreach used to be a city of supernaturals, mostly all undead, until Gravespire tried to get greedy/controlling and overthrow the nobles of the Schnee/Zahne union. Almost worked because he took down the heads of the Zahne half but being the legendary Ice Tyrant Tundra beat him and forced him to make a choice to either serve him or be destroyed so he took option A._

 _Things aren't gonna go exactly like it looks, and nobody is out of the woods yet.._

 _I don't think I'm ready for that to be honest. Still a lot of details I need to work out, pathways/arcs of the story I need to think on and general flow, as well as how the ending is gonna go down. I know it will be the longest of the 30+ ideas I posted and I don't think I'm wanting to commit to that yet without a few more fics under my belt. I just posted it to get opinions and whatnot. I might do at least one fic or so with the topic of the GrimmLords/Grimmbloods though._

 _At Andilite: Nothin' wrong with that. Romance is good. Yeah Graham is an ex king and Ruby is pretty much a descendent of angels. Might be some complications if her blood turns all holy and whatnot though. Oh wait that's what's happening already.._

 _At Beloved Nightmare Union: Almost wrote your name as Beloved Knightmare Union. Sorry, been working on a new Atlesian AK thing of mine. The Atlesian Knightmare. Think the Terminator but a mass produced Remnant version of the TX-3000 from the third movie._

 _Vortogk would be the best one to tell the story, he wasn't there personally but knows people who were. As for those horrors, some of them are simply extremely powerful supernaturals but there are eldritch things in this AU. We may or may not see them, possibly in the sequel, but the general gist of this AU is that it's one where supernatural races and entities are pretty much known in the human world, both in the actual world and their societies. There are however things that even they don't know of as well like the factual existence of angels or about how strong some of these creatures truly are. Oh and on that topic yeah, I had both Barragan's skelly form in mind along with the image of the Lich hero unit/Ner'zhul model from Warcraft III in mind when designing him._

 _Most of his entire army, the ones that killed Ruby will be dealt with in the sequel and while Graham/Gravespire is certainly immensely powerful there are limitations and restrictions right now that will be holding him back from taking the entire stage._

 _11 would be average length, 27 I would try my best to keep to a oneshot but I suck at those because I write so much. This chapter is easily going to break 15k I feel. The sci-fi horror ones, Romance would probably not be much of a focus but OOH YEAH Halloween is in fact right around the corner. My brain's gonna be cooking up Halloween themed fics all month long. When do we start doing holiday themed fics on FF? The month of the holiday? Few weeks in advance?_

 _Zombies, not something I've considered yet. I've seen most of the Resident Evil movies but have only played Resident Evil 2 as far as the games go so I might be scraping at the plot.. Heh. Welcome to Raccoon (Faunus) City?_

 _At BlakJakXXI: Didn't DW (no not Darkwing Duck) stop for some reason? Someone told me it just inexplicably ceased all progress at some point, maybe they were wrong or confused. I haven't looked into it yet. Too busy trying to download God Eater 2._

 _That is a proper and correct assumption but not the main reason._

 _Mhmm. There's no fixing a soul that's gone kablooey. Ever. New ones can be created, old ones reincarnated, maybe even piece together/recover a distorted and corrupt one, but a soul that's been destroyed? That's like trying to put together a glass jar that fell off a skyscraper._

 _Weiss is out of the fight and Ruby looks like she's not gonna hold on for long buuut wait and see._

 _Definitely ties into the sequel story._

 _I haven't done any sci-fi yet and have been itching to do one, it just all depends on what my muse is feeling for when I get done. So those are your choices eh? Alrighty then._

 _At djjohns94: Okay._

 _Yeah a scythe isn't exactly an extreme close range weapon.. Her Semblance would probably come in handy but we're still unsure what the exact limits of it are. She didn't use it to evade the Giant Nevermore before it pinned her cloak in volume 1 and kinda tripped over trying to carry Penny in I think it was 2._

 _IIIIIII will pass. Same reason I haven't gotten into that Henceforward thing by.. KumafromTaiwan? I get that right? Art looks good but I read the first chapter that was listed, Blake turning out to be still evil and stabbing/killing Ruby and I was like 'yeahno /bail'. Heard it's really popular though but dark/tragic stuff really isn't my cup of Arizona tea._

 _So here we go! It's the final countdooooooown! *looks at notes* Yeah this chapter should be the end of the supah actiony war arc and after this, the epilogue/closer. The M+ bonus will be in another standalone story as will the intermission story (which explains even moar backstory and has a bunch of awesome revelations for you guys (and gals)) but when I start writing those.. IDK. Based on last chapter's reviews and my ever flipfloppity muse I might be writing.. Something. Yeah something but that's for future me to worry about, present me wants and needs to finish Red Snow!_

 _BUT BEFORE THAT. If you like Fairy Tail, or nightcore music, or both like I do, check out KeeL on Youtube. Makes some really sickawesome nightcores of the soundtrack plus some other series' OSTs._

 _Now I present to you the mega sized penultimate chapter 13 of Red Snow: The fanfiction: The movie: The game: The manga adaptation: The musical.. On ice!_

 _Edit: I totally forgot Vortogk was supposed to have ONE eye not two. Derp. Will fix that in previous chapter 'cause I know I dun goof'd there at least once whenever I get around to it._

* * *

As Graham, or as his true identity would seem to be this 'King Gravespire' the lich, and Vortogk the shadow demon entered one of the most bitter staring contests Weiss had ever seen she flinched upon feeling her skin start to crawl like it was alive. The faint glow of that constantly present green light was shining over the deep wound Vortogk had inflicted and already it was starting to heal. This wasn't any kind of healing spell though but some manner of stimulation that caused expedient regeneration. The undead energy filled her and was just enough to compensate for her own lack to heal properly. The pain subsiding along with the bleeding Weiss would look up at the back of Graha- King Gravespire's being.

"That.. That's your original body's skeleton isn't it? The extraneous-"

"Again I must congratulate you Ms. Schnee. However, save your energy. We shall talk when this is over, that I promise."

 **"You talk mightily highly for someone who has been leashed by their ilk since time forgotten."** Vortogk crossed his arms as that quad-element broadsword rattled and flew to his side to hover behind him. The slightest look was made in Ruby's direction as she weakly struggled to get away from the Crossbreakers roughly trying to restrain her and hold her up.

"You're in my world lest you forget, demon spawn. Your army has been shattered and though you have pushed these two to the edge I assure you I'll finish what they started."

Vortogk shut up with a burning ire in his eye. The truth of the matter was like a bitter poison. The multitudes of vampires and demons he'd brought with him to kill Ruby and Weiss with were down to the dozens from the hundreds they previously constituted. What's more was that he could feel dark forces rising from underneath the bloody wartorn grounds of Reaper's Escape. Presumably a hidden cache of undead soldiers.

That presumption would turn out to be quite correct as skeletal knights, zombies, draugrs, wyvern skeletons, even other homunculi and corporeal monsters started to unearth themselves, tearing out tombstones and grave markers through the dirt and for some well preserved coffins to get to the surface. Larger dracoliches the size of bomber planes could be seen off in the distance through the cloudy green skies even. Weiss was absolutely speechless to think that such a large army was nestled below them all this time and unable to take action until his return.

"So now you are outnumbered and outmatched. I'd say your little plot has ended in failure. Run back to the depths of darkness where your kind belong." The lich poised his sceptre, a phantasmic essence bursting out from its eyes in warning.

How Vortogk loathed the creature right now. In mere minutes the tables had been entirely turned against him. This would be the third time he failed to kill the silver eyed girl and twice to kill the princess. Going all in, something he had refused to do previously in his gamble against a single human girl and her vampiric protector, had amounted to nothing. The majority of the Crossbreakers under him had been wiped out leaving him little to work with covertly in the human world and he knew that trying to wage open war on the angel kin was a potential disaster too risky to attempt. Humans were.. Unpredictable. As were all the other subspecies that populated their plane of existence.

That pill of bitter poison went down with extreme reluctance but he knew he had one last card to play. With a hateful snort/hiss the demon spun on his heel and waved his hand horizontally, an archway the same as the ones he used to breach Reaper's Escape coalescing from dirt and rock that alchemized to obsidian. A flare of demonic flames filled it and connected to the demon side of the Afterlife. Confused and unsure what to do the rest of his remaining minions looked about.

 **"Tch. Do not think this is over, you insignificant wretches. I will be back and I will not fail next time."**

"Just screw off.." Weiss groaned, moving to her feet with some assistance. "And don't come back."

 **"Don't provoke me. You're nothing more than an abomination of human genetics, a mutation. Enjoy the victory that was bought not by your own power."** Then he turned his head to Ruby, who tried again to shake off the vampires holding her. The blood loss was making her dizzy and her vision foggy, every inch of her skin searing like it was being pressed to the surface of a hot stove.

 **"You have not been saved. Your time has only been extended by a margin. When I return I will crush every particle of your existence and leave nothing behind. Not even your blasted soul. ..Just as I did to your mother."**

That elicited a somewhat surprised reaction from Gravespire and an even greater reaction of shock from Weiss. Ruby on the other hand.. Her look was one of great horror that was quickly supplanted by anger. An anger rising rapidly and fueling not the will to survive but the urge to kill. Her mother? Vortogk was personally responsible for the attack on her home all those years ago?

"You.. You killed.."

 **"It was about a decade past."** He spoke calmly, all of the irritation from before gone. **"I received information from survivors of a raid by vampire hunters that they'd been struck by members of White Flower. One of the more prestigious and feared vampire killer groups in what you call Vale, I must admit I have a begrudging respect for their tenacity and skill as humans.. What interested me greatly was that they reported a woman having silver eyes and wielding blessed weapons being a member of the squad that assaulted them."**

Ruby's mother, Summer Rose. Like Ruby she'd had silver eyes as well and wielded two ornate swords made of sacred silver. Enchanted with some kind of mystic light they cut down evil and undead alike with a terrifying grace. Like Raven and Qrow she was a vampire killer and one of the so-called prejudiced humans that attacked the Crossbreakers during that dispute long ago. Their home was in turn the one that was attacked in 'retaliation' for it. Summer and Qrow were slain, Ruby surviving and being taken in by Qrow's sister and her husband.

 **"And I knew that I had found my next target. The Crossbreakers have been in my shall we say.. Care.. Since ages past but I have never been able to convert the entire coven. Many rallied under my puppet master for the ideals of being able to freely express who and what they were without restraint, to become terrors of the night like in the days of yore and not like begging dogs fed by generous passersby. Something your family has mostly forgotten."**

Weiss grit her teeth. Having lost the demon was obviously taking his sweet time in being a sore loser before leaving. Were she any kind of fit for fighting the vampiress would be on him in an instant for his insulting speech.

"You are testing my patience you scum! Get out of my sight!"

 **"Cute, how you bark at me from behind a fence where I cannot reach you."** He said with a sneer. **"It was too easy to gather a large enough group and simple to formulate the kind of evidence I'd need for my puppet to send them out against her. For security I tagged along in his shadow, possessing his body when the mark was found. Your father.."** Vortogk grinned at Ruby, chuckling. **"He was a superb fighter. I recognized that he was exceptional even for a human and I was made to step in after losing many of my minions to his blade. Against a demon of my caliber however he didn't stand a chance. I personally tore out his heart, in front of his lover and their child."**

Ruby was seething, heart pounding and internal voice screaming. Several more splits appeared on the surface of her body around her neck, her face, even on her scalp and forehead where they covered almost everywhere else. As blood ran down over her eyes she pulled against the creatures binding her and almost threw them over. Weiss was getting angry as well, fingernails fizzing with the formation of an icy gauntlet that failed halfway and crumbled to nothingness.

 **"And when I squeezed it dry.. Their lamentations were like a soothing lullaby to my ears. The woman came at me in a rage and I beat her without mercy. Every time I knocked her down she sprung up but when I threatened the life of her child she became quiet docile. How entertaining it was to see her beg on her knees for me to spare her, and how fulfilling it was when I cut her throat."**

"Stop it.. Shut up!" Ruby screamed, closing her eyes.

 **"Do you remember child? How she choked on her own blood? How she tried to tell you to run, even when darkness surrounded us all? Remember how I took that defenceless soul in hand and crushed it like a grape.."**

"SHUT UP!"

 **...**

 _Fires raging throughout a collapsing house, ashes covering the walls and floors, a single figure standing in the middle of the room cupping the floating spiritual head of a woman with flowing crimson hair and onyx streams through it. His body was sheathed in darkness but those haunting eyes full of evil were as visible as the sun. They reflected the sparks and blast of light when that hand clenched around her head and it exploded, wisps of her essence floating down over a body laying in a large pool of blood next to a man's. One of his hands was loosely holding the haft of a large scythe, stained with a different type of black blood. Nearby a small girl was cowering in the corner with her knees to her elbows and her head against her forearms to shield her. She was crying loudly, the dark one laughing and walking slowly towards her. He'd almost reached the poor child when there was an explosion behind him. Through the smoke and fire came a black-haired woman wielding a long blade and the flying bodies of at least three vampires that burst into ashes. When she saw the corpses of the other two humans an unspeakable fury came in the form of a hate filled scream, as did the wrath of what sounded like a dragon's roar and the visage of an incredibly mad yellow-blonde man with a body blazing with golden scales._

 **...**

The whole memory flashed in her mind in pieces. An unprecedented wave of power filled her body, completely dulling the pain and giving her boundless energy as her wounds started to glow with a soft white light. The strangest thing happened to her eyes as this happened, the silver sections cracking like glass. Her tears which had been flowing since Vortogk forcibly brought that painful memory to bear even turned a dull silver and in an instant everything went white.

Imbued with an unstoppable might Ruby wrenched her arm free, taking the ones that had been holding it right out of their sockets. The former owners they had been attached to were backhanded away and as two behind her tried to tackle her they immediately jumped off, hissing and screaming like they'd been burnt. Except they had been burnt.

That substance emerging from the girl's wounds was like anathema and caused a reaction almost exactly like holy water. Skin sizzled and blistered from contact. With a scream she charged right after Vortogk, the demon's grin spreading ear to pointed ear as he glided back through the archway. Gravespire cursed and Weiss yelled for her to stop but it was too late. When Ruby chased him through it disconnected and crumbled to ruin. Clutching her head in frustration and pulling at her hair the vampiress ordered him to follow them, which the lich refused to do.

"Ruby's in danger, don't you care?!

"I care a great deal Ms. Schnee, but I cannot do that."

"Why not?"

The lich turned, tapping the side of his skull. "I.. Lack the power."

Weiss blinked. Dowhatnow?

"Lack the power..? You just singlehandedly destroyed hundreds of demonically enchanted vampires and even a few demons, with three spells at that! If you won't do it then help me! Heal my wounds, find me some blood to drink and-"

"You'd be going to certain doom, that monstrosity severely overpowers you." He warned. Going back after him would change nothing. Vortogk had easily handled the two of them separate. Even together it wouldn't change the outcome the lich thought. Weiss grit her teeth as Gravespire started to speak again. "Besides, that was all the magic energy I had to spare. My body has not had long enough to recover its true full strength. The only reason I could recite such powerful incantations is because undead essence permeates this realm like oxygen itself. I would only be as powerful as these acolytes in the demon world right now and even between the three of us we could not defeat him. Even if we could I must inform you I do not know any spells for accessing the demon world. I'm sorry."

She hung her head, arms shaking in anger for feeling and being so helpless. Vortogk's last ditch effort had worked and now they could do nothing but stare at the space where the archway had once stood. Weiss let out small sobs, her hands covering her face. To think that right now the shadow demon might be tearing apart or have already killed Ruby.. She looked up and around when a sudden chill came over not only herself but also the skeletal necromancer, catching the outlines of three figures stepping through a swirling vortex.

 **...**

Through the blackened rock formation they both flew, Vortogk ceasing his glide and dragging his feet across the charred earth. Ruby however kept raging on and met him fist to fist. Quickly he snagged her by the wrists and began pummeling her in the face with his two free hands before raising one up to violently smash her into the rock below.

 **"Such might.. It only grows by the second. Rejoice that I'm going to be killing you in a very short time, but despair that I will make it quite painful."**

Sporting a taunting grin Vortogk stomped hard on Ruby's back, crushing her into the ground before stamping on her several times. Pinned to the ground the girl started to channel all of her might and desperately tried to push herself up to no avail.

"Let.. Me.. Go!"

The demon looked down upon her with disgust, stomping on her once more in a huff. **"I find it more fitting that you remain earthbound, crawling like the insignificant insect you are.."**

Oh that did it. Growling and baring fangs Ruby put both arms under her with palms flat, summoning as much out of the minotaur's blood as she could to push herself up. She managed to get a few inches higher when she dipped yet she wouldn't buckle and with a tremendous shove got a whole foot up even with Vortogk trying to put all his weight on that one leg. Striking like a snake when the opportunity presented itself that foot was pulled underneath to reinforce her stance as she snatched at his ankle.

Success.

A second grand effort saw her unbalance the shadow demon and pick him up by that same ankle, slinging him over like a sack of potatoes to slam him facefirst into the rocky floor. Vortogk would catch himself but only the first time. Swinging over the other way Ruby landed him against the earth on his back, then actually landed him on his face/chest the second time, rinsing and repeating half a dozen times over. Battered and dazed the demon was momentarily helpless to do anything to prevent being thrown at a nearby outcropping of rock and he hit like a ton of bricks. Countless pieces of it flew from the resulting cloud of dark dust and now able to stand on her own two feet again Ruby got a good look of her new surroundings.

Black and shades of red, everywhere. This was neither Reaper's Escape or her world and she certainly wasn't in Kansas anymore. A light covering of black clouds thinly stretched across an orange sky, a pure red sun casting an evil light across a barren land. It was just like it had been in the reflected archways, a world of cooled magma earth and obsidian peaks littered with rocks and boulders. Lava flowed freely from the mountains, some constantly erupting and belching volcanic ashes while thin streams and webs of the stuff trickled along underneath their feet. The air wasn't easy to breathe and by the gods it was hot.

Make no mistake this had to be the dark side of the afterlife. From where she stood transfixed by the sight, Ruby could see various demons off in the distance. Some were normal red-skinned humanoids with horns, wings, and claws, others more monstrous and twisted in appearance. Some even flew through the air or tunneled through the ground ignorant of the scene that just started.

This was no time to be sightseeing however and that'd be her mistake when Vortogk came flying from the little crater he'd made, dust trailing behind him as he crashed right into the wight and flew along a few feet over the ground. His hand clutching her collar he drug her with him, scraping her back against the rough terrain while occasionally picking her up and shoving her back down. It hurt a lot, especially when some of the more pointed rocks dug into her flesh. It finally stopped when they reached another wall, Vortogk lifting her and throwing her at it to smack into it with a crunch.

His flight didn't stop even when she did so a very short time after impact he ran into her with his shoulder, crushing her chest and nearly breaking bones. It took all the wind out of her and dropped her to her knees. Or it would have if not for him retreating a step to pick her up by both forearms before she did so.

 **"Welcome to my world, child."** As Vortogk laughed he would sweep the other two arms out at his sides in a 'look at this' motion, to ensure that she would get a good view of the demon realm. **"I suppose I'll allow you a few seconds to marvel in its splendor. Before I take your life."**

Ruby glared at him viciously like a wild dog that would bite if he inched just a little bit closer. Even as winded as she was and trying to bear unbelievable pain over her entirety she struggled in his grip. Vortogk started to fidget a little as he realized the holy essence emanating from her wounds and eyes was burning him a little. It wasn't searing him like it had the Crossbreakers but it was extremely uncomfortable. Bringing both free palms together another blade of pure demon energy would mold and take shape, crafting a bastard sword inscribed with runes that had a pale violet tint and a handle forged from black steel.

 **"I wonder.. How should I do the deed? Perhaps slit your throat like I did your mother..?"**

Vortogk just had to do it. He had to gloat over his victory in her final moments just to rub an incendiary salt into her scars. She screamed at him to shut up but that was ignored.

 **"Or maybe I should remove your head. Maybe tear out your heart, the same way as your father. Your last moments can be of watching your own heart stop beating before I crush it. Wouldn't that be fun?"**

Grabbing her roughly by the face with his fourth hand and pushing her up against the slab the demon growled at her, whispering face to face.

 **"Or I might just beat you into a bloody mess for the troubles and setbacks you've caused me. Call it uncivilized and barbaric but I could use the release. Maybe I'll play with that white haired girl you seem to treasure so much. How I could corrupt her and twist her to my will, dominate her very spirit and break her mind.. I could use a new family to dance as my puppets and hunt down the remaining silver eyed ones. So long as even one exists their ilk could repopulate and spread. You are an aggravating, irritating, spiteful little example and I will relish your destructioAAGH!"**

Fwoosh.

An aura of white light burst from her and was gone in an instant but the effect was just as swift. The hands that had been holding Ruby were paled and blistered, her eyes cracking and small fragments of something akin to glass falling from them before dissolving. With an angry snarl he lashed out and kicked her, dropping Ruby to her knees and she'd clutch her stomach. Face contorted in both pain and loathing of the male before her she looked up at him just as he raised that bastard sword in a reverse grip ready to plunge it down.

 **"No more wasting time. I was foolish to take so long, thinking your body would self-destruct before I had to dirty my hands. Die you miserable spawn of angels!"**

The blade came down in a blur, sinking through her forehead and driving out the back of her skull just as her eyes shattered completely. Pieces of silver glass fell out and fizzed away, the eyes themselves not appearing to be any different underneath. At that moment Vortogk was overcome with self-satisfaction, laughing and cackling wildly before he wrenched the sword free.

The sword came back as nothing but an empty hilt, the blade bursting into smoke. Looking down he realized there was no scar where he was certain he had impaled her head right on through with it. Ruby's skin was starting to glow, a divine air collecting around her as demons started flocking towards their location. Big and small, strong and not, they all gathered around them in a circle talking both fearfully and excitedly. Amidst their conversations things like the vengeance of the angels and the archangel's descendants could be heard in frightened whispers.

As a pulse of holy energy blasted outward they all shielded their eye(s), the shadow demon included, before Ruby started to rise into the air. Flesh was crumbling away like loose stones and dust, new bone and tissue forming in its place. Though it was all solid white it looked as if a new body was taking the place of her old one. Two lances of energy burst from her back, molding and unfolding into feathery wings. Claws, talons, and fangs were no longer, the girl gaining a robe in place of her old clothes. Something was engraving itself on her face and in another flash alongside an extension of her wings that released a few feathers of light into the air her new form revealed itself in the fading aftermath.

A most radiant beauty she was, gray wings beating once as she descended to the ground. Inches from each foot the rock would sizzle and turn whiter as it was purified of the hellish essence permeating it from the world around. Her skin was flawless, eyes having a more subtle glow and retaining a reflective silver sheen. Every single wound and drop of blood was gone from her being as was any sign she'd been injured in the first place.

She felt the best she'd ever felt in her life. The heat was like a warm ray of sunshine to her now, the pain all gone and her breathing peaceful. Though Ruby still held a great deal of animosity towards Vortogk it was expressed no longer through a look of poisonous rage but through a tranquil disapproving gaze. It was like she wasn't even aware of the change, acting as if her existence had always been that as it was now.

And the shadow demon would swear, cursing the girl under his breath as well as himself. Was the Archangel's Bane active or was this some kind of released power? The seal had shattered that much was evident. Perhaps this was simply another body somehow hidden away in the angelic power. He had way more questions than answers but right now the objective of slaying her where she stood was prioritized over amending that issue.

 **"The one who kills that angel and brings me her soul will receive favor in the court of shadows..! Destroy her, immediately!"**

Only after demanding that they obey did the bigger nasty-looking demons step forward. Whatever weapons they had, forged or born with, were set to strike as they started advancing forward. The lesser demons quickly followed suit and were about to swarm Ruby when she extended one hand out to the side.

Everything turned to utter chaos in a split second.

Gold markings appeared on her face, a vertical cross over each eye with the horizontal bar centered around them as a black hourglass emblazoned itself via black flames upon her forehead. This elicited a look of genuine surprise and possibly even momentary fear in the shadow demon's eye as golden shapes appeared in more bursts of light over other parts of her body. Metallic armor came from those bursts, made exactly to fit her form in the components of a most knightly design. Solid round pauldrons, rerebraces, couters with spikes extending from them, vambraces and gauntlets, the whole nine yards and the other ninety-one of an ensemble an angel would wear into battle. Faulds, cuisses, spiked poleyns and greaves ending in sabatons.. The arms and thighs also had crosses not drawn but welded on, holy scriptures in cursive writing elegantly written across a majority of the suit. Altered crosses were etched into both sides of a breastplate that joined the other pieces, the back having slots for what were now her armored wings. Bars of an odd metal covered the main length of the bone that formed them, flexible to allow almost completely free movement yet looked as if they could take impacts from a battleaxe without scratching or warping. Finally.. The bottom half of a rather sleek facemask would phase onto her head, subsequently joined by the top half's visor. With a click it slid into place, perfectly shielding the front of her head as small wings of pure light grew out from the hinges and decorations mirroring the tattoos on her face appearing to match. More of those wings appeared on the sides of her ankles and wrists, the entire collective armor of the female angel being polished off with a cape made from golden thread that billowed for a few moments and draped down. It extended from the back of her collar and went between the bases of her wings so as to not obstruct them.

The demons had smartly chose to cease their offencive, hopping a good ways back with some even backpedaling or scrambling for their lives to get some distance put between them and the angel. Even the mighty Vortogk was apprehensively taking a few cautious steps away, his face showing clear disbelief and shock. The Archangel's Bane. This _had_ to be it and oh what a power it was to take in. Not a single creature there could deny they felt an intense holy aura coming from her at the moment, but to their horror the power had yet to fully manifest.

Last but irrefutably not least came a weapon, spreading apart her fingers as a shaft materialized in that extended hand. It was long, taller than she and at first looked simply like a very long cross made of two rods with spearheads at the tips. As a short ranged beam shot out from one face side and left the shimmering shape of a scythe blade in its wake a wire would phase across the t-section on the opposite side, resulting in what looked like a cross-scythe with a bare minimum frame crossbow built onto it.

The crossbow part was leveled and aimed at Vortogk, a warping bolt of light drawn back and primed before being let loose. Had he not been fast enough to dodge it would have pierced right into his skull. Instead it sank into the chest of a taller demon, giving it about a second to roar in agony before it exploded into fizzing ashes. Several other demons that had been standing/floating in its trajectory were punched through by the light projectile and met a similar fate. This left Vortogk and the rest of the horde absolutely stunned but he was the first to recover, bellowing for all of them to attack Ruby en masse. When they made it clear they had no intentions of doing so by not moving the shadow demon shouted that if they didn't obey, one of them was going to wipe them out. Either she, possessing the Archangel's Bane most certainly having the ability to do so if she slew him, or he himself for punishment of their disobedience.

Every demon that had the potential to generate and fire demonic energy would start charging it in their hands, maws, or on the tips of their tails before launching it towards her. With a rapid spin she cut a perfect circle in the rock, planting the bottom end of her weapon down. A ray of holy light shone around her in a protective column that nullified all of their attacks on contact. The barrier fell as she removed it to stand, gripping it in both hands when the horde rushed. A flap of her wings launched feathers like throwing knives to spear many of the forward ones with innumerable fatal wounds. A harder spin that generated a wave of air force strong enough to scatter small rocks severed heads from closer bodies or split those bodies in two, Ruby taking to the skies with a single beat of her wings again and a powerful jump before materializing another bolt to be drawn. As it was locked into place two wings formed at the throat of the bolt, holy energies spewing out from their bases to accelerate it when it was fired. Ruby swung the cross-scythe onehanded to point straight down as she twisted her upper body and nearly bent over backwards, releasing the supercharged bolt with a click.

The resulting blast when it reached the ground completely evaporated a good number of them, Vortogk of course escaping the carnage by simply not being near it like the rest of them were. Lesser demons were nowhere to be found in the smoking white crater, greater ones laying there dying or in too much pain to move. Landing on one of them in a crouching position to finish the job with a sickening crunch Ruby held her cross-scythe over her shoulders and then stood up.

The group wasn't nearly as big as the one that had invaded Reaper's Escape but seeing how she had manhandled so many of them with such little effort and time Vortogk realized very swiftly why the elder demons and fiends spoke of the Archangel's Bane in hushed tones. Her power was absolutely ridiculous. Not as much as his own and he could see gaps and rough edges in her skill but the shadow demon knew one direct blow from her divine power in that kind of state could be crippling. In the process of releasing alone it had disintegrated one of his weapons, albeit it a weaker one.

Many of the gathered individuals were now seriously rethinking their odds and strategies, Vortogk being too dumbfounded to reprimand them when some started running.

 **"Irritating.. I have to deal with you myself it seems. Are you even awake in there, girl? Or has the power of the Archangel's Bane possessed you to fight?"**

"Shut up. Just die."

The male's eye opened a bit in surprise. Tsking and raising two hands to about neck level in the same processes as before red energies began to forge weapons, a set of claymores with onyx blades and handles made of a rough purple metal.

 **"Not quite the reaction I was expecting, of course you can't possibly have known of this.. ..Ah.. Your mother. You knew of her own abilities didn't you?"**

Ruby stared at him rather determinedly, nodding and taking her cross-scythe down into a battle ready position as Vortogk raised his own weapons.

"My mom said she could tell if people weren't human and if they were good or evil by looking at their auras. She could also bless things like water and weapons, and dad told me a few stories about how she fought a bunch of ghosts that tried to possess my sister when she was a lot younger."

 **"Developing low level and fractions of abilities due to a weakening of the seal, but not a complete release.. I imagine she was never in situations quite like yours before. ..."** Vortogk glanced down at his feet in thought then back up to her. **"You're taking all of this much differently than that other girl."**

"All I'm focused on is destroying you. That's all I'm gonna think about right now, so get ready because I'm not gonna hold back! I'll avenge my parents you monster!"

 **"Then neither will I.. I already know how this is going to play out, child. I can see it now. You think this new revelation has given you the edge when in fact it will be your downfall."**

He smiled. True, Ruby's newfound power was something absolutely demanding the utmost caution but he could tell. He could feel. The way her holy aura burned like an out of control fire, the way her breathing had subtly and slowly gotten harder and heavier. The initial display had legitimately struck fear into the demon's twisted black heart but now that Vortogk had realized something it was like that fear had completely left him. Making the oddest decision to leave both swords hovering in the air he held out all four arms in diagonal directions, a pentagram being drawn in the air of red demonic energy that filled and began to pulse with evil that darkened the area around the two of them.

Ruby planned to not give him the quarter he need to complete whatever sinister spell he was about to cast, rising and loading a third bolt into her cross-scythe. She shot at him only to find that gleaming projectile deflected by the sudden slashes of those hovering blades. With a huff her wings started flapping, launching her straight for him. The claymores met her head-on and swung of their own accord with a speed she barely could match. Ruby dodged, weaved, sometimes reached out to knock them away. They hardly left even scuffs on her blessed raiment but she didn't want to chance them getting into any of its few gaps or breaching it. Oddly instead of clashing every time she swung they moved out of the way to pester her like flies, delaying her more than posing a threa- That was it.

There was no time to lose. Focusing a good chunk of mental strength she expelled an outward blast of white light to blow them away and try to catch up to Vortogk. They returned like boomerangs burning with white fire to cross and block her path, even as she swung her scythe down onto them. They held but evidenced by the severe cracking on their blades they weren't going to last long. Another shove and they gave, shattering into lifeless pieces as the hilts clattered to the rocky floor. Instantly she was on Vortogk, her cross-scythe all the way back behind her and primed to come around with the hardest swing she could possibly muster. With a smirk Ruby stared him right in his terrified dark eye, about to let loose before her ears picked up something whistling through the air. It was large, heavy, and _fast_.

Before she could even move out of the way that obsidian blade impaled her through her armor from back to front, dealing a grave puncturing blow to the angel and instantly robbing her of her fighting capability. Blood already gushing from her wounds and between her lips Ruby dropped her weapon and fell to her knees, a malevolent crimson light illuminating the ground around her as the pentagram faded and reappeared on a larger scale underneath her.

 **"Begone."**

With an enormous rumble that shook both the skies above and the ground below a discharge of red lightning could be seen in the clouds as a preview of the massive demonic bolt of lightning that would come down upon them. The effect on Vortogk was nil but on Ruby it was merciless and completely overwhelming. Over her screams rock was torn away from itself and disintegrated, corpses vanishing into a light so bright it was blinding. Nothing in the field of the veritable nuclear strike could be seen until a minute or so after it began, dust settling and the caster floating down to the epicenter of his spell's aftermath. As for his target..

She was alive in the loosest sense of the word, twitching as black and red sparks arced across her body and forced her to convulse every few seconds. The divine armor granted to her by the Archangel's Bane was completely shot, broken and shattered or outright missing in some places. It had no more lustrous shine or surface and piece by remaining piece would fade away into nothingness. Underneath it was proved to be that it had sacrificed itself for Ruby's sake and let not a single bit of the demonic magics through. The broadsword was a different matter which Vortogk cruelly ripped from her back after stepping on her to brace it for removal.

 **"I was beginning to wonder where I had left that. Good thing that it is crafted from elemental magics and not my own, otherwise it would likely have met a similar fate as my other one. So, child. Care to try again?"**

Prodding her with his foot then giving her side a sharp kick he'd walk around to her head, kneeling down and letting his sword hang beside him. When the demon was certain his prey was looking up at him he began to laugh, reaching out and taking a fistful of her hair to drag her to her feet by.

 **"I see now why the angels were beings to be feared. You certainly didn't lack for power and your skills are only subpar, but what you lacked was discipline, control, and experience. Such fantastic strength in such incapable hands.. You foolishly expended excessive amounts of power and without conditioning of use in that form it was inevitable you'd burn out before too long. Though it took my most powerful midst-combat suitable spell charged with the latent energy of the realm to do so I have defeated your oh so high and mighty 'Bane'."**

"All.. You do.. Is talk.. Stupid.."

Vortogk snorted. Then he released her for a second to backhand her across the hard magma, other fists clenched in annoyance.

 **"I am in the utmost perfect position to do so. There is no possibility that you could pose a threat to me in your condition even if I sat here on the ground and made no efforts to protect myself."**

Then he took a few steps forward.

 **"And where are your friends, your family? That girl that you seem to care for so deeply? Nobody is coming to save you. This is the end of the line and your life. This is the last time I am to be interrupted trying to-"**

Then he was interrupted by the formation of another demon's archway off to the side. Some of those cowardly survivors that fled the battlefield had contacted the upper branches of the Goetia he thought. Oh well, this was probably a good thing. They'd be rather pleased with him for halting and preventing an attack on the dark world by an angel, to say nothing of their amazement at defeating one empowered by the fabled Archangel's Bane.

At least if it had been any of the Goetia that stepped through the portal after it activated. Already Vortogk had raised a hand to show he had control of the situation and vocalize the fact to whoever it was that emerged. Very misfortunately for the shadow demon the three vampires that entered the realm weren't there for his defence. As he turned to face the new arrivals a maddened snarl left him.

The ice princess, what looked to be an older relative, and if he wasn't mistaken the Ice Tyrant himself in all of his cold and frozen glory. And all his blood-chilling terror. If the man's face before had been a picture of disgruntled annoyance his current visage was a painting of absolute hatred. Winter wasn't exactly looking pleased to be there either and as soon as she glimpsed Ruby's broken form on the ground Weiss let out a shout and fought to tear herself from her sister's grasp.

Winter tried to stop her but the princess slipped away. Rather than the demon her target was Ruby, flying to her side and carefully rolling her over to start casting shadowy stitches and wound-sealing ice patches over her. All the while with hands shaking and voice trembling. The two of them had had too many near-death experiences up to now and damned she'd be if she'd watch Ruby die again. Vortogk had immediately started towards them but all Tundra took was a single step and he stood back in his place.

 **"I utterly despise each and every one of you.. Fate is so mockingly cruel to me today. More maggots of the Schnee family I see."** As soon as he'd said that Vortogk thought back on how Ruby mocked him for talking so much. It was his fault as a demon for not simply killing her every second he had an opportunity so really he could only blame himself. Why couldn't he just be allotted a bit of time to savor victory preemptively?

"You are the vile scum that has been behind the behaviors of the renegade Crossbreakers are you not?"

The way Tundra so boldly addressed him had Vortogk taken aback. The ancient lich was one character he knew shouldn't be simply trifled with but the head of a vampire family who had long ago turned in their fangs for peace with the lowly humans..? Did he not understand his situation right now? More importantly.. He knew. Somehow he learned or figured out what was really going on. That lich had to have filled him in somewhere along the line. Natasha's failed infiltration of the Zahne castle was probably enough of an alarm actually to get his attention and the demon knew that with the massive loss sustained in that undead world his cover would be blown sky high. There'd be no twisting the story to his advantage this time.

 **"So much for my plans, though as the saying goes even the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.. When rats like those two are involved I'm not so shocked. They've done nothing but hinder me at every turn."**

"Answer the question."

 **"Yes."**

Vortogk raised his head, obsidian blade coming around to his front to float protectively between him and Tundra.

 **"I suppose by now I cannot-"**

"Silence."

That was _really_ starting to grate on his nerves.

 **"You have the audacity to presume you can order me as if-"**

"I will not repeat myself."

Each of the demon's clawed fingers tightened and flexed with anger as he let out a long breath through his nose, about ready to go over and strike Tundra for his attitude.

"Your actions have greatly upset the orders of our worlds, removing souls from the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. This itself is a crime but not one I would seek to punish personally unless it became far too great. Your transgressions that I find conflict with are of your infiltration and subjugation of a brethren coven, and especially egregious your attacks on both my family and my home."

Every word was laced with poison but the elder vampire kept his composure, cold as his anger may be inside it showed only through his words and facial expressions sans the lightest shaking of his body.

"Though I do not completely endorse my daughter's eloping with an unsired human female I won't deny her happiness as it is my own. You on the other hand sought to take it away from her. What is more is that you sent your ilk to trespass upon my home and attack my people, and explicitly attempted to kill her. As if that were waiting to be outdone you have invaded what is essentially an extension of my home and tried yet again to kill Weiss and her chosen. For that, I will ensure your destruction."

First Vortogk found the man's speech to be insulting but when the notion of destroying him was blatantly stated with such conviction it made him laugh. Not just a little chuckle or the kind of wicked cackling expected from a witch, no the demon would actually laugh at how hilarious he found the concept.

 **"Ensure my destruction? How amusing it is to hear such a thing! Oh don't look at me that way, Schnee. I assure you I do intend to take you seriously. Amongst your species I cannot readily think of many more powerful individuals but you stand before one who walks among the black Goetia and holds favor with the Arches of Luciferon! Compared to you, a creature born from the twisting of human DNA who has lost his edge in times of complacency I am like the sun that ignites all its rays fall upon. What are you but a candle.."**

The hovering blade zipped through the air faster than a flash of lightning, broken in two from a chopping motion to bounce and clatter off into the distance behind Tundra as he split it like a piece of wood. That result seemingly not unexpected Vortogk grinned as yellow marks began to glow all across his skin. These were a serious contrast to Ruby's golden scriptures and the font was more archaic and rough, releasing a corrupt amorphous black essence that shrouded the demon like a cocoon. Seeing it grow in size at an alarming rate Tundra calmly backed away, Winter doing the same with Weiss picking up Ruby to take her to safety. It swelled and swelled to no discernable end until it was several stories tall and wider than a house, beating almost like a heart. When it finally stopped the surface started to crack and was blown open with such a tremendous force fragments of dissolving solid shadows flew in every direction.

What emerged from the unholy metamorphosis was a new Vortogk, seething with demonic taint and many times larger than he had been before. Easily could he dwarf any of the demons seen previously by several factors, sporting a new look along with a new level of power. The demon's skin was a near black crimson, batlike wings opening up to reveal a frame rippling with veiny muscle and covered with fading dark sigils. A layered horn of bone curled backwards and came back to poke just past his cheeks after splitting at the crown of his scalp. Still retaining four arms Vortogk stepped forward with now cloven hooves, cracking the rock with each movement as a mace-tipped tail smashed down beside him. Gone was the coat to leave him shirtless and with only a scarlet waist-cape and a black loincloth to cover him below. Each claw was like a jagged drill with four slit eyes gazing down upon what might as well be bugs before him as he felt the surging of his blood and magic.

 **"Witness my true form and despair, oh ye who shall meet their demise under my terrible fury.. I do not know how you entered this domain but escape is impossible. There will be nowhere to run or hide for even now true soldiers of the dark world come to my aid. What little hope you might cling to I will tear it from your grasps and cast you into an infinite darkness.."**

The far off cries of horrors unknown could be heard over the bubbling of lava that began to pump through cracks in the ground. Weiss was visibly stricken with fear and even Winter was showing her unease, both behind their father who showed not a single shred of the despair that Vortogk spoke of.

The shadow demon was putting on full display a scale of power that neither vampiress had ever seen before yet the man was unshaken, glaring daggers towards it as he stood his ground.

"Fool.."

The sound of a record disc scratching against the needle went off in Vortogk's mind as he raised an eyebrow at Tundra. He was not reacting anything like he had expected. Why?

"This doesn't scare me in the slightest. Your attempts to do so are nothing more than childish tactics, the act of a bully trying to make himself look tough when on the inside he's insecure and scared. Out of all the errors you have made thus far thinking that you can intimidate me is one of the more insipid. I have lived for millennia and seen things no mortal eyes should ever see, and your assumption that I have become 'complacent' in that time is so very incorrect it is laughable."

Tundra started walking forwards, a cold chill spreading both in his wake and around him.

"You think this little haven of fire and brimstone is something to fear? Your sluggish hulking form? Compared to the things that can be found in the human world it's merely a change of scenery."

With as little warning as a loud bellow Vortogk fired a wide beam towards him from his mouth, creating an explosion that decimated everything around it. All save for the intended target apparently when the smoke cleared. Tundra had shielded himself and a place to stand on with a hexagon-comprised hollow dome of ice. Never having stopped in his stride the vampire male would close one fist, extending the forefinger at his side as a small ball of blue/white light appeared on the tip. It couldn't be felt but that ball was quickly filled with an immense amount of ice magic. Letting out a louder roar Vortogk would use all four arms to prepare his own spheres of fire, lobbing them one after the other towards his general location. A few of them went wide while others would have hit dead on if not for the demon's target seemingly phasing out of existence only to reappear after their impact and the dispersal of their immediate effects, the embers and dying flames not eliciting any kind of response from Tundra as he brazenly walked through them.

 **"You insolent upstart abomination of nat-"**

"No more. Save your breath for your dying words."

This was starting to seriously piss off Vortogk who was bewildered as to how Tundra was shrugging off or completely ignoring his attacks. He was just a mere vampire! Perhaps a very powerful vampire but still just a blood-sucking maggot! How could he possibly hope to contest a powerful demon such as he on his own grounds? The infamous Ice Tyrant couldn't be that strong, he couldn't! Could he?

He could.

Tundra stopped, raising his other hand as the shadow demon finally decided to forgo magic attacks in favor of a more direct approach. That spiked mace of a tail came whooshing around to crush him into a bloody pulp, to his shock rebounding with a resounding 'clang!' as it impacted a suddenly formed tower shield of shadows. When he then tried to simply stomp on him with a cloven hoof that shield morphed into a hand, catching it and actually holding against what was pretty much the weight of a tall building. Growling Vortogk would pull it back and then prepare to kick at him. Were he able to get it free in the first place he would have as the fingers grew longer and wrapped around the entire hoof like vines. One, two, three times the demon attempted to escape and only on a fourth try did he succeed. The shadows didn't break but fell loose causing his excessive use of strength to be his literal downfall as Vortogk fell on his back and shook the entire realm for miles.

That was when the beginning of the end started for the mighty shadow demon. Raising that ungodly dense marble of ice magic above his head it fired straight into the air like a tiny cannonball. It didn't take long for it to breach the sky and when Tundra spoke the incantation it expanded, causing clouds to disperse from the resulting gale or be consumed in its diameter.

"Blue Sunlight"

All of that pressurized magic was unleashed in a supernova of inconceivably cold waves of energy, the expanding ball reaching the size of a small moon and both looking and acting like a very small sun. The temperatures rapidly plummeted to below zero and leagues beyond even in that molten landscape. As it cascaded over the surface of the area everything was frozen solid and covered in snow and ice. Magma chilled, cracking as fires died under slushy frost. Even the spouts and streams of lava stopped moving and solidified, a typhoon of snow creating blizzard conditions for a quarter of a minute before it ceased.

Everything was white. Everything was cold to the touch. As far as the eye could see save for the rolling hills afar and the tall peaks of the volcanoes the world looked like a winter wonderland. The ice magic permeating the air replaced the demonic taint almost entirely, even the lighting was different. What of Vortogk who had been laying on the ground when the spell took effect?

Though it wasn't complete a shell of ice held him down and prevented most of his movement, crisscrossing or encasing parts of the demon's body. The magic wasn't going to hold him long for even as he yelled and struggled the sounds of boiling water came from around him as well as steam. The ice was melting rapidly but for a dead-faced Tundra it would serve its purpose as he opened that still raised hand to slap it down onto the now crystallized surface, cracking it slightly as a glyph appeared underneath and began to spin. About the same time his blue and white eye began to glow.

"White Babel"

The cold restraints all shattered as something erupted from the ground below Vortogk, a rising tower of thick crystal ice rupturing through his chest and lifting him into the air as it extended. Blackened blood began to drip and fall to the floor below him like a putrid gooey rain, boring holes in the ice before it too started to freeze over. For the first time in eons the once proud and overconfident demon felt in his heart true fear of Death, realizing that the Ice Tyrant had completely, singlehandedly defeated him. Even with his released form it had only taken a paltry two attacks to leave him helpless at the vampire's mercy. A mercy that wouldn't come as Tundra then knelt to hold the opposite hand above the other.

"Jötunn's Vicegrip"

From the beaming light of a huge stationary glyph above Vortogk's suspended body a gigantic hand forged from ice descended with fingers splayed open. It held just about the entirety of the demon's form when clenched and with a violent squeeze crushed him in its clutches. All that could be seen was a single arm, leg, and the end of his tail as the sounds of grinding ice and painful agonized roars echoed from within over a raging hurricane. Splintering cracks appeared when it finally released the pressure it had on him and detonated, dropping a now much smaller Vortogk through a rain of bloody ice shards and white fog. Crashing into the ground the demon barely mustered what he needed to get up on his hands and knees, trembling from the sheer cold and the pain.

Tundra was on him in an instant, looking down upon the defeated demon with the utmost disgust. Even in his present condition Vortogk found it in him to chuckle, coughing up more blackened blood to stain the ice.

 **"You call me the fool.. You must know.. You cannot kill me.. *cough* I will.. Return. A demon cannot truly be slain.. Without holy magics.. My body will be reborn.. In the darkness of the pits.."**

"I'm aware. How fortunate that the heavens have graced me with the presence of an angel, is it not?"

Vortogk's eyes narrowed. What angel? The girl was in no condition to fight and her power was- No..

Looking beyond Tundra's form he could barely make out something. That accursed angel and her partner. The latter was supporting the former as they both struggled to hold the blessed cross-scythe straight or rather one was helping the other lift it. A single bolt was shining bright which was how he had noticed them in the first place, drawn back and most certainly aimed right for him. Even though Weiss was still weak from the near fatal blow he delivered and Ruby almost completely spent she was using the last of her power for that one single attack. The vampiress was the angel's guide and her eyes, keeping her aim steady before the wire released. Over the light breeze and the late forces of darkness approaching on the horizon he could hear that angel's battle cry. A cry of 'go to Hell' before the bolt was fired to pierce right through his forehead.

Vortogk seized up, his death throes both violent and conflagrant as his body started to burn away from where it penetrated. Fire consumed him until there was nothing left amidst the raging white blaze. The terrible demon was finally to meet his end and the threat that he posed being vanquished as the remaining pieces of his form were turned to ash and then vanished. The last of her energy leaving her Ruby collapsed against Weiss unconscious but still thankfully breathing as her weapon fell from her hands.

Tundra had turned away before the bolt even hit, not looking back and drowning out Vortogk's reverberating death roar. When he stood before his daughters the youngest would be caught staring where her greatest foe had stood, then looked up at her father in both awe and agitation.

"How.. What.."

"This is why I constantly remind you not to anger father, dear sister."

"I didn't know he was THAT powerful! Why-"

Her stuttering came to a halt as she felt a hand upon her head, the same for Winter as she met a dour look that softened to the barest smile.

"Do not misunderstand. I did not bide my time because I felt it was unnecessary or improper for me to get involved. On the contrary like your sister I felt the urge to personally go and handle things when I heard of the Crossbreakers' attack on you and that girl. However.. That monstrosity was clever and hid his tracks well. I did not want to risk putting our family and the Zahne family at war with the entire coven until I could prove what was really going on."

Winter turned to Weiss as he removed his hands. "That's what father and I have been doing lately, trying to gather information. That's why we haven't been at the castle. I went home and he to other places though I regret not being around when that spy snuck inside.." Then from Weiss her gaze traveled downward to the angel in her arms, a small smile coming to it as well. "I'm still amazed, angels really do exist.. I'm not quite sure how things between you would work however. Being a creature with holy blood that would be toxic to us vampires.."

"I- Don't you worry about that! Just- Oh, f-father. I.. Ruby, she.. Please-"

His palm halted a few inches from her face as a signal to stop talking and she obeyed, swallowing nervously and awaiting his word.

"I would have much preferred you chose someone that could help bear another heir to the royal family, yet your happiness is more important to me than anything else. I do not approve, but.." Tundra let out a sigh and clasped his hands behind his back. "I will condone your choice and pray for your love to be as everlasting as mine and your mother's."

Weiss' previous look of apprehension was replaced by joy, quickly toned down to a pleased smile as she nodded her head. "Th-thank you father. Can I take her back to the castle and have her wounds treated? She doesn't have to stay but at least let me-"

"If she is to be your chosen she will be given the same privileges as the rest and welcomed in the castle. Winter, go with her and ensure that she is taken care of properly."

"You are staying behind?" Winter asked. His answer given through silence she would also nod her head before heading towards the demon archway that they'd used to get there. Upon their approach the portal activated and the two Schnee princesses departed with Ruby, deactivating once they were through. Hearing footfalls of various types on the ice and snow Tundra turned around, facing his would-be aggressors as they all came to a halt.

"Alright you! I don't know who or what you think you are but.. Uh.. You stay right there and.. Don't make any stupid decisions."

The first to speak from the small legion of demons and fiends was a spiky greater fiend with a near-skeletal frame of chitinous armored flesh and long needle-like claws, looking more like a bizarre insectoid alien than a creature of the demon realm. Its slowed speech and nervous tic was for the same reasons everyone around it kept their distance even with their greater numbers. The thick pungent scent of demon blood scattered everywhere with Vortogk's being very noticeable, the lingering toxicity of divine energy, and last but far from least the fact that a pretty large radius of the immediate area was entirely coated with slowly receding ice and pocked with a few craters..

An even greater reason to not make any 'stupid decisions' of their own, two in fact, would emerge from a second archway as it was created from buried obsidian and deep veins of lava. Unlike the ones seen thus far this structure was more ornate and the edges finer. Two tall curved horns pointed inwards on each corner, parallel with the top piece of the frame, and in the center of the top was not a typical pentragram but a decal in the shape of a double music note. The first of those figures was the dark and noble form of Gravespire, trailing the deathly fog of Reaper's Escape behind him as his robe fluttered in a nonexistent breeze. The second..

The second was practically the demonic counterpart of Slash from Guns 'n' Roses almost, certainly going for a rock and roll look with a pair of leather pants that hung a little low on his hips and no shirt to reveal a tattooed chest and arms of lean muscle covered with studded vambraces and knuckle gloves to match his studded belt and black boots. His face was one of amusement as well as a bit of bishonen charm, long dirty blonde hair coming down to his mid-back and separated at the top by three horns. Two typical demon style horns tilted back slightly from just above each of his slit red eyes, a third longer one that was straight and tapering with spiral grooves like a unicorn's pointing out from his forehead. Across the male's back was a strange looking electric guitar shaped in the style of a manta ray, appropriately labeled in red lettering 'Stringray' which he probably did just for pun.

As soon as he started walking forward Gravespire started humming. "Duuuude looks like a la-dy!"

"Oh hush. Shapeshifting is an art you wouldn't understand. I- Sweet lord who left the air conditioner on?" The demon shivered, holding his arms. The lich just cackled before karma kicked in and he tripped over a slanted ledge of ice and fell in the snow, rising to grumble and shake it from his robe.

The bug looking fiend hissed at them and raised a claw. "You! Bringing outsiders to our lands, what are you thinking?! Do you realize what kind of punishment will be coming your way when-"

A snowball splat right in its face lobbed courtesy of the long-haired man before he placed his hands on his hips and leaned over with frown. A hidden purple tail ending with a spade flicked about as well.

"Have you any idea who you're speaking to like that? They are temporary guests of the son of Amdusias!"

The ranks all collectively backed down into kneeling positions as he invoked the name, the one at the forefront not filing suit as it tried to explain that they were following the late shadow demon's orders to hunt down an angel and kill anyone who interfered. Which he waved aside, scoffing 'good riddance' under his breath to claim that as a child of one of the Grand Dukes of the Goetia his word was a higher law than Vortogk's.

Many of them were already taking their leave and within moments the area was clear of the other demons, leaving Tundra, Gravespire, and 'Anzodth' as the lich called to him by alone in the shrinking snowscape.

"*sigh*.. This whole thing has been _suuuch_ a headache.."

"You sure you ain't gonna get in trouble for this? Escorting us to the afterlife when nobody's supposed to be crossing the boundary?"

"I'll manage. Besides, Cerberus is still missing on our end so others of my kind have been doing as they please anyway. Maybe the reapers aren't doing their jobs properly? I have no idea what's going on. I just wish I could have found you people sooner." Anzodth rubbed the sides of his face and then his fingers through his hair, claws not catching on a single strand. "But with how that imbecile ran rampant all these years, someone higher up had to be helping him. We're not even supposed to BE in the human world without a good reason and here Vortogk was faffing about on a killing spree against the children of the celestial hosts like it was some kind of scavenger hunt."

"Yeah BTW we almost lost another one slowpoke."

"But she's alive and he's dead so mission success I'd say."

Tundra watched the other demons disappear off in the distance, listening to Gravespire and Anzodth bicker before turning around and walking over to a seemingly random spot. They would fall silent as he knelt down, wincing upon touching something and then consequently drawing his hand back.

"..I'm still amazed. A child like her having such ludicrous power is hard to fathom. If she could be trained to control it-"

"Maybe she could deal with the demons for us while we go catch a movie? They're probably running out of toadies and I know they likely won't dare make a move unless the angels are completely exterminated."

Gravespire shrugged, making a raised-eyebrow expression when Anzodth paused where Tundra had once stood to take a turn kneeling down. He plucked something from the snow and then held it up to his eyes. What appeared to be a tiny version of Ruby's cross-scythe attached to a thin golden chain, missing its wire and the blade reduced to a blunt point for mere decoration.

"..Well now this is _very_ interesting.. Tundra was it? You didn't happen to see a jewel of some sort inside his body when Vortogk was killed did you?"

The elder vampire shook his head. "I did not notice, apologies if it was important. ..How is it that item does not burn you as it did I?"

"Well the Archangel's Bane purges evil-" The male dangled the cross in front of him with a smirk. "-and I can feel just a bit in you, but not all demons are as twisted as people say. Not every angel is as pure as their wings either.. Hmhm." What was it that he was feeling from the little piece of jewelry..?

"Yeah so like I had a question about that. Last time I checked, angels have never wielded scythes in any pictures or texts I've read and I've never seen one with gray wings or an hourglass insignia on its skin."

Tundra and Anzodth both stared at Gravespire.

"..Okay I've never seen an angel period until Ms. Schnee brought her back through the gateway but I've met reapers before. C'mon I'm only pushing a whopping 25k here guys. Am I the only one that thinks that can't be normal?"

The reflecting light of that blue orb in the sky faded from the cross and golden chain in Anzodth's hand when it itself did. He began to spin it on one finger, humming to himself. "When you say it that way it sounds like a character from a badly written work of fiction. Half angel and half reaper..? Is that even possible?"

"Angel reaper? You gotta be kiddin' me. What's next, we're gonna run into a mighty dracowerepyre? Oh by the way you should read my novel about Draco Blacknight Moonrain Darkblade, he's a cursed dragon demon vampire but he's also a siren and an incubus."

"Incredibly emo and has a bunch of ancient powers and can transform into like five different things and link into your mind?"

"Oh don't forget he can teleport and fly and has a super tragic past and-"

"Why am I surrounded by jesters and jokers.." Tundra grumbled, walking past them for the first archway. They would trail off and also leaving the lich's side Anzodth would move to the one with that musical piece in it, smacking it with his elbow and causing it to crumble to pieces. The item fell into an open hand and then shrunk down to be a size more fit for a necklace before it was put on. Anzodth then leaned back on one of the fallen sections of the archway with one leg crossed and made dual finger pistols. "Eeeey! ..Get it? When that Fonzie guy hits the jukebox? What, I like human television."

Floating over to join Tundra, Gravespire would beckon for the demon to follow and as soon as they were together in front of the arch he looked between them.

"Alrighty so what'cha suppose we do now? She's awakened the power but who knows if Vortgok's master, possibly masters, will back off or try another cockamamie idea. Anzodth did say that they don't have many proactive fans but I think if they completely eradicate the angels both the light world and the human world are gonna have a bad time mkay?

"We play the waiting game. Provoking a cornered beast would be unwise." He answered quickly. "I hope that perhaps you are right. They may cut their losses and abandon their plan. If she is one of the few in history to unlock the Archangel's Bane then it could be enough of a deterrent to force them to reconsider. I've no idea how a demon's mind works and I don't care to know."

Anzodth let out a light feigned gasp of shock, pouting and crossing his arms. "Ru-uuu-de much? Y'know I don't _have_ to help. I could just go to my room and play my guitar, leave you people to fend for yourselves. Not like my head's on the chopping block yet."

"We should be able to handle things from here on unless they do something drastic." Gravespire replied with a shake of his sceptre. "I just don't get it.. Why all the underhanded tactics? How long have they been killing off the angel children in secrecy? And why IS it any of your business? Not that we aren't grateful."

"Her life thus far is comparable to a fleeting memory in our own yet there exists within her a blunt edge waiting to be sharpened. Her power will grow exponentially in the process.. Just feeling the residual effect of their battle, even though she was defeated, I believe that the girl could become a massive threat if properly guided."

"And I'm one of the few demons around here that likes the human world as it is. Plus if the others started raising Hell out there an actual Archangel could pop up and start kicking their asses. After all it's a big place so there might be a few handfuls of potential Rubys out there." Anzodth exclaimed before looking confused at their simultaneous stares. "What? She has a name if you didn't know."

"Regardless.." Tundra went on to ignore the demon's last comment. "He has a point. If what you said earlier is correct the average angelic warrior was more than a match for its counterpart and with that girl's suspect heritage she could come to surpass our expectations. Perhaps we might find out some day. The rest of your kind won't take too kindly to it I don't think.."

"Oh, ha. Haha." Cue another feigned act, this time of laughter from the male. "No. They are going to be like.. So angry. A lot of the upper Goetia are content nowadays but some are still bitter about the war, which is probably how Vortogk got away with what he was doing for so long. I'm probably one of the very few that would stand in defence of the human world and try to keep them from instilling chaos."

"Which I take it we're going to have to help with, IF they do decide to press their luck. Good thing I have the Power Rangers on speed-dial." Gravespire added.

"..."

"Your thoughts?"

The elder vampire shook his head and then looked at the lich. "..Would you happen to know to this day any of those reapers you claim to have met?" Receiving a confirmation of 'perhaps one or two' he would turn back towards the archway and prepare to step through it. "I see. Anzodth, remain in contact. Having your assistance would make things easier if our worries become founded. Gravespire, we're going to discuss the renegotiation of your contract.."

"Oh boy do I get a raise? By the way rock jock, give that to Ruby or the Weissicle when we get back." The skeleton said as he pointed at the dangling cross Anzodth held.

"What? Why do I have to be errand boy? I have stuff to do so you take it."

"Bitch please, ain't nobody got time fo dat and if you come any closer to me with it I swear I'll nail a pair of Lego shoes to your feet."

The two of them argued as they followed Tundra through the archway, it deactivating and going to ruin once they were on the other side.

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

Their cloven feet crunched quickly melting pieces of ice and caused small splashes of water as they stepped through the puddle-ridden plain. Six piercing yellow eyes looked all in different directions before zeroing in on a particular area. There..

A few strides saw them standing where a dead demon's energies still remained strong in the air and after extending an open hand something would rise from the soot pile that had formerly been a living demon. It floated up and around to rest in their palm, gleaming with the reddened sunlight of the demon realm and the reflection of their eyes as it was brought closer.

A single and rather remarkable black pearl was the object, burning with multicolored flames inside and what looked like a demonic one-eyed visage staring back at them.

* * *

 _Holy CRAP look at the SIZE of that thing._

 _Now that's a katana._

 _Heh. RWBY Chibi. I need to catch up on that again. Alright so seriously this time. Cheesus Crust this chapter was fuh-reakin' huuuueeeeg. Got it done though. This marks the technical end of Red Snow but we'll get a timeskip epilogue that teases just a bit more on the likely sequel! That M+ extra I'm not sure when I'll do it, or the sidestory with Blake and Yang. Probably the next thing I do in this AU will either be the intermission story featuring/centering on two very particular characters or I might punch right into the sequel._

 _EDIT: This is NOT the final chapter guys. Just to reiterate._

 _As for what I do next, my muse for once is not being flipfloppity it's being lazy. And as Bart Simpson once said, "That sucks AND blows.". I have two new ideas by the way. One is another idea I'm sure that's been done, kinda like this AU but it's not Whiterose and instead of vampirism Ruby struggles with becoming a werewolf. It'll be a darker (not in a bad way, just that there's a larger divide between supernaturals and humans) universe, lower power scale than this one. I haven't thought too much on it yet. The other idea is another 'Ruby meets a monster girl' story like this one and my planned one where Weiss is a lamia, but this time it's Yang (unrelated so no incest) who is liiike a shark person. M+ for various reasons, also futanari warning. The general plot will be about Yang finding out what she really is after she meets Ruby (it's not actually as simple as 'shark person' for her) and there'll be some interesting characters along the way. Haven't thought much more than that so I dunno._

 _Anyhoot I'mma let y'all go. See ya in the epilogue and peace out. Also so your hopes aren't all raised and dashed when you see your notifications, the chapter AFTER the epilogue (not this chapter, after the next one) when I mark it as Complete will not be an update notice. That'll be reserved for answering reviews after the epilogue. There will however be an actual update notice in the chapter after THAT one as soon as the first chapter of either the intermission story or the sequel goes up though._

 _EXTRA NOTE. I got a smartphone now! Well, again! No more hunting for wifi 'cause I'm about to have unlimited data and a hotspoooot~ Yeah I used to have an unlimited data with Boost but my phone died so hard from overuse it wouldn't even charge. Now I can UPDATE AT WILL. *maniacal laughter* ..See that's good for you guys 'cause now I can post new chapters as soon as they're done and I don't have to rush anything with my limited schedule or lack of wifi requiring me to be quick about getting to and from local wifi, or having to hunt it down/go without if there's none nearby._

 _By the way, sorry guys if I missed anything in my proofreading or made any errors. Just drop me a PM or something if you notice any. I was up until 2 AM tonight at Wal-mart to get this out in case I didn't get another chance before we leave Memphis and I couldn't find wifi next spot. Hopefully having this phone will amend that kind of issue if this plan works as it's supposed to. I know I shouldn't rush or stay up late but I'd hate to have to make you guys wait. Remember that saying that went around about how a delayed game is eventually good but a rushed game is bad forever? Think it was when Duke Nukem Forever came out but yeah. I don't like making y'all wait and I think I did a decent job here buut you never know. Now I'mma go walk home and get my 5 hours before I gotta be back at the office. Peace!_

 _Inspectre Offline._


	16. Angelus Tetigit

_Inspectre Online_

 _Word up dudes and dudettes! Ready for this to be over with? I sure am, if only so I can start brainstorming my next work which is a supah secreeeet. ..Yes I totally know what I'm writing next, shaddup._

 _Last chapter was a monster at over 16k words but this one will be shorter and probably easier to edit on FF. For some reason Google Chrome on my tablets I've had just doesn't like me messing with anything above the 8k word mark 'cause it crashes all the time when I start editting on the bottom half. I gotta copy/paste the first half somewhere else, edit the other half, then when I'm done repaste the top half back in and save it._

 _So this chapter will be a bit of a wrap up and answer some questions like who the heck is Anzodth and why is he helping or where did he come from, other miscellaneous things. Plus a delicious timeskip. Aww yeah. We even get some minor spoilers for the Blake/Yang sidestory but that won't be until the post-story timeskip part, which won't be required reading by the way so if you're picky you CAN skip that bit._

 _But for now, time for da reviews. So glad I got this thing up today.._

 _At Andilite:_  
 _1\. Yes. I have a few Blazblue nightcores, a ton of Fairy Tail ones because of KeeL, and some originals like Pika Girl and Dam Dadi Do. Feel free to suggest remixes or originals._  
 _2\. One does not simply retain status as head of a vampire family for generations without being one._  
 _3\. To be fair Tundra and Gravespire are severe outliers of both their kind and supernaturals in general. Tundra still had to use a looot of magic to pull off what he did and Gravespire had the home field advantage, like being a shark versus a human in the ocean. The human world also doesn't see a lot of crazy DBZ style shenanigans (or really any) because the ones capable of those kinds of displays are either limited in the first place (IE Vortogk because he couldn't blow his cover and he's at his full potential only in the demon realm, or Gravespire only having enough undead energy to cast uber spells with in his own realm or in places like cemeteries) or smart enough (IE Tundra) not to make a habit of doing so to avoid unwanted attention and/or creating chaos. Kinda like how the wizards of Harry Potter keep the humans unaware of the existence of magic and refrain from exposing it in public. So generally speaking, the answer varies but nothing too insane. Plus 'powerful' in this AU tends to revolve more around skill, experience, and abilities rather than being able to level a mountain with a magic missile. Which there are probably a few ancient horrors that could do that._  
 _4\. Why is everybody saying that you're like the third person.. I have like one M+ of that kind under my belt, coincidentally this story's prequel, and it's probably only good because of my general writing ability and not some talent at writing lemons. If that's what you guys want though I'll think about it._  
 _5\. Something like 3/5ths Angel and 2/5ths Reaper._  
 _I will! Hoping to have this out Sunday._

 _At Fate-chan2015: The sequel IDK but the intermission story and the extra epilogue will have sauciness._

 _At GrnDrgnzrd: Yep. Wait did I and where? Betcha can't list 'em all! ..No seriously, try. I probably made some without even realizing it. Puns and references are my bag and I do it out of habit/reflex sometimes._  
 _Grr I need to get caught up too.._  
 _Yep!_

 _At Beloved Nightmare Union: Next time I'm just gonna leave that K there and you will forever be Beloved Knightmare Union, like the Knightmares from Code Geass._  
 _I am also very happy and eager to answer those questions as we go along. Ruby's part angel and part reaper, the latter being people (usually humans that Death ascends to a new existence) that serve to execute Death's will. I was debating whether to make the Grim Reaper (will call it Grimm just 'cause) an actual incarnate character or just a metaphor for the ancient power that speaks to them and guides them. Wait and see which I picked. I still don't have the plot for the sequel set but rest assured I will be brainstorming the crap outta that. Along with holiday themed ideas as you suggested._  
 _Ermahgerbil you guys just wanna watch the world burn- I mean me write another Blood-Red Like Roses huh?_  
 _Yeah in those horror fics romance could be present but never prevalent._  
 _No new arc until the other stories but one more chapter so stick around!_

 _At Rapter267: I love Monster Musume. And Monster Girl Quest. So Penny would be Papi? Cinder would be Arachne of course and I dunno who the others would be._  
 _Heh, if I take twenty chapters for a single battle it better be like some end-of-the-story super war scene like Lord of the Rings or something. Was it over the top? Possibly but I wanted Vortogk not to get beaten but have his ass handed to him. Ruby still got the killshot though._  
 _You don't like Enabler or just incest in general? If 1, even if they're not related in the story? If 2, that's understandable. I'm not a huge fan either but fanfiction is where we can take artistic liberties and make it not incest._  
 _Oh RWBY is already supernatural with Grimm and Dust and the archaic style of Kingdoms and Huntsmen/Huntresses, easy to work with. Hope my fic helped with that! Quality control and assurance guarantees no sparkly or emo vampires._  
 _I can see how and why people get that kind of view. You start feeling like the ships are meant to be certain ways and any different options just feel wierd or wrong. I admit I personally support the widely popular Whiterose/Bumblebee combinations too but I also think it can be interesting to see how mixing things up can go, and it gives me more to work with. I'd feel wrong-er by excluding ships because they're not the ones I would want to be canon. Except a very few certain ones, which I won't bash or judge but I just don't have any taste for writing them._  
 _No worries about the rambling since I don't mind and I know I do it a looooot, or being 'that guy'. Opinions are welcome in this part of the internet, an extremely small micron of that universe it may be. Long as they stay civilized. When hateful/derogatory comments and trolls start flying then that's when I bust out the 330mm Thor cannons._

 _Okay, reviews done! Full speed ahead!_  
 _WAIT. BRAKES._  
 _Since a bunch of you asked, I'mma pose the question to y'all now so everybody looking forward to that M+ epilogue piece (you know who you are) I can either try something normal or.. Be creative (read, frinky, = freaky kinky)since it's a Supernatural AU and we all know Weiss has magic powers. Think Blood-Red Like Roses sorta if you've read it already. Oh and uh.. Should it take place post timeskip or pre-timeskip? Leave your preferences in a review/PM._

* * *

What was this warm feeling?

It was too dark to see yet she could feel something warm, in her hand and against her side.

Or maybe it wasn't dark and she just had yet to open her eyes.

Doing so would reveal something very different than what the girl remembered. Green curtains, stone walls, a comfortable bed.. ..A not so cold despite popular opinion vampiress sitting at the side of said bed in a chair.. She was asleep judging by the slow and gentle shifting of her chest but her hand was holding one of the angel's even as her head rest against her. Her former mantle of vampiric wear was gone and in its place a frilled white nightgown, no longer covered in blood due to that foul demon's-

Vortogk!

..He was nowhere to be found. There was no hot air blowing, no icy wonderland, no nauseating odor or malignant force in the air. It felt more like.. The castle? She was out of that dark twisted land the demons called home?

Ruby sat upright, easily removing her hand to stretch out and look around. Not that there was much to see with that sliding green curtain around what she thought 100% was an infirmary bed. Her robe had been exchanged for a light green patient's gown and after checking herself in several places came to the conclusion that she'd been out for a good while. All her wounds were closed and hardly any scars remained. The ones that did were from her impalement by that elemental broadsword. Ruby stopped when she felt Weiss stir.

Her eyes fluttered open, closing again as she rose from the bedside and stretched her arms. One hand came down to stifle a light yawn when those mismatched eyes laid upon Ruby's awakened silver orbs. Her breath caught and the angel barely had time to glimpse the misty eyes Weiss was getting before she bolted forward and pulled her into an embrace.

Ruby! Ruby _.._ Thank goodness you're okay..!"

"I will be if you stop squishing me.." Ruby grunted as she felt Weiss constrict around her, the vampiress immediately drawing back with an apology. She smiled back at her and then returned the favor without as much pressure. Sniffling Weiss would link back around and let out a long relieved breath. When she felt feathers and something wrap over her back and shoulders she paused. Her angel wings.. Luckily physical contact didn't burn her like it had the demons and vampires. Realizing what she was doing Ruby sheepishly pulled them back and folded them behind her.

"Sorry. I don't really have a good grasp on them yet. Sometimes they have a mind of their own."

"What in the world happened over there?" Weiss exclaimed, softly but in one of those loud whispers. Ruby made a face like she wanted to explain but didn't know where to start. "You charged after Vortogk and then the portal closed and I started panicking and then this other demon shows up and- And you're an angel knight or something?"

Ruby blinked a few times and then shrugged. Weiss let out an exasperated groan and facepalmed.

"I don't know. It was kind of a blur. He started talking about my mom and dad, and then I had flashbacks of.. Well I.. I lost it after that. I didn't mean to run off but everything hurt and my head was pounding and there was like this inner me telling me to kill him and I guess I went a little crazy huh?"

"A little? From what I saw when we got there you went more than just a little crazy Ruby."

The way she sat there with her pursed lips and crossed arms Ruby couldn't help but giggle, causing the vampiress to just reach out and pop her gently on the side of the head. Then when she calmed down Weiss looked over her body, particularly where she'd done patchwork healing on that grievous wound and the tattoos still remaining on her skin from the Archangel's Bane activation.

"How are you feeling..? I mean, being an angel.. I thought Vortogk was just telling me a story but look at you!"

"I feel great. Even better than before." Ruby said. "Sorry all your hard work was for nothing though.."

Weiss shook her head. If she were to fall again she'd gladly do it several times over if it meant not losing her.

"I was fighting as hard as I could but he was too strong. I couldn't beat him. Just when I thought I was gonna die I whited out. Next thing I knew my body changed." She looked down at her hands, opening and closing them a few times. "Then there was this really bright light and I had this really cool armor and a big magic scythe. My dad taught me how to swing his before but this one was a crossbow too, and even though I didn't know what I was doing there was a voice in my head talking to me and I just.. Somehow I knew how to use this power."

Weiss blinked.

"I swear! I'm not making it up! Maybe she didn't grow wings or cast spells but my mom had powers too."

"I believe you, I do! It's just hard to take in, that's all. This Archangel's Bane is supposed to be a legend and now I'm looking at it in person.."

Weiss reached out to carefully touch one of Ruby's wings, hesitating to even put a fingertip on it like it was going to jump up and attack her. Which is why she jumped when it twitched towards her. Sporting a frown and mumbling that 'it wasn't funny' when the angel burst into a gigglefit she'd lean back in her chair.

"Sorry, sorry, couldn't help it. ..So, how long was I out? You didn't have to stay up here if you're still tired y'know. I mean.. I don't mind if you do.."

As Ruby turned a little red Weiss took her hand once more, quietly assuring that she had no intention of leaving her side until she was better. A soft 'I missed you' left her lips before she leaned forward to press them to Ruby's, sliding one knee over to get up on the bedside and make herself more comfortable. Taking her in her arms the girl lay back as Weiss got on top of her, slinking her arms up underneath so she could pull herself closer.

The two of them remained in that position for a good while, exchanging tender kisses and affectionate nuzzles. Nothing overly passionate they were content to stay embraced together as they were and within minutes the two of them were asleep once more.

As the first rays of- Oh right, there was no sun over the strange castle. Weiss was the first one blinked this time. She awoke with Ruby's face right next to hers, the two of them on their sides and facing eachother. She was all too glad to know that it wasn't just a dream but a reality she could reach out and touch that her beloved was safe and sound in her arms. Weiss felt herself start to cry as she cupped one of the girl's cheeks. Vortogk was gone and the Crossbreakers finished. They had nothing to worry about now and no more reason to constantly watch their backs. They could finally be at peace..

Ruby awoke a few minutes later after she'd calmed down, bumping their foreheads together and giving her a peck on the lips before reaching up to wipe away nearly dried tears.

"Morning princess."

"Morning, my little angel."

They stared at eachother, wide smiles turning into quiet laughter as they nestled together. Laying in silence for another half hour that angel would finally uncover herself and sit up on the bed to rub at her eyes. Just as she'd woken up they had fallen back asleep again but considering the terrible ordeals the two of them had gone through in the past few days it wasn't unexpected. Or was it days? Weiss had never answered how long she'd been unconscious.

"Weiss. Hey, you haven't nodded off on me again have you? ..C'mon lazy butt, we got-" She froze. Raven, Taiyang, Yang, her friends and coworkers at the cafe, they didn't know she was alive and well yet! Ruby started, shaking her by her shoulders to get her up as she mumbled something about 5 more minutes.

Unbeknownst to them they didn't even have 1 as the curtain was slid around, the faces of two unfamiliar and one somewhat familiar figures meeting them. The first was obviously Ruby's caretaker, a spectacled woman with pink hair dressed in a nurse's uniform and judging by the many stitches some kind of zombie. With a most certainly not zombie-like greeting she'd bow and turn to leave as Tundra Schnee dismissed her. The sight of him still unnerved the angel but what was more unnerving was the presence of Anzodth whom she had never actually seen due to passing out from blood loss and overexertion by the time he arrived. Except this time he was wearing a pair of star shaped shades to go with his look.

Weiss of course bolted upright and slid out of the bed, beet red and stammering to explain the situation. Tundra's almost permanent stoic expression didn't change as he put a hand out to stop her.

"..How are you, Ms. Rose?"

"W-Who, m-me?" Her skin paled as she was addressed.

"Yes, you. Do you feel any pain or have noticed any unnatural afflictions or conditions on yourself that should be made aware of?"

"Umm.. N-No sir. I feel fine! Everything's better!" Ruby waved her arms like a bird a few times for emphasis. Anzodth snickered and retrieved something from his pocket before spinning it on his finger. Weiss watched it rather intently whereas Ruby was still focused on her father so when the demon male let it slip from his fingertip towards her the vampiress caught it with lightning reflexes. After she opened her hand to see what it was she yelped and let it fall to the floor almost as quickly.

"Ha! Thought so."

"If that had gone differently I would have had you drawn and quartered." Tundra growled.

"Hey now I'm usually good at guessing games." Anzodth chuckled. Ruby leaned over to see what was dropped, starting to move and reach for it. Before she even got to the bedside it was whisked up by an unseen force and flew straight into her hand, chain looping around her fingers and surprising all of them. "Although I didn't think it could do _that_."

The cross-scythe in miniature form.. Though it had greatly startled Weiss when she realized it was a cross it also surprised every other person in the room except for the demon when it failed to burn her as was the norm. Ruby held it up over her head and let the full length of the chain go so she could watch the cross sway in the dim light of the room, reflecting off its pristine surface.

"I assume that the only reason the cross burnt you Tundra is because Ruby doesn't know you and well, let's face it. You have a bad case of scary face and your heart isn't exactly pumping out rainbows and sunshine."

"Hmph."

"Don't worry Ruby. I've not known him long either but he seems like a good guy. Just on the veeeeery deep inside. And don't be afraid of me, I assure you I'm with the good guys."

"My job is done here, I have other things to do. You two may do as you please. Anzodth I'd prefer it if you wrap things up and leave. Your presence might make some of the others uncomfortable right now." He turned and walked out the door, closing it shut behind him leaving Anzodth and the two females.

Running a hand through his hair and placing the other on his hip he would then point towards the cross that Ruby was still holding, although now her eyes were focused not on it but the demon as she and Weiss watched him silently.

"Really now, what's with that look? I saved your butt by bringing baron von evilsatan and the lich king home with me, you know before Vortgok could split you like an atom. Speaking of which I also have things to do and I don't think I should stick around.. That cross is yours by the way so take care of it. I believe it's a conduit for the Archangel's Bane, and I'm certain it will only burn those with evil or ill intent in their hearts so you should have nothing to fear Ms. Schnee. Perhaps my new boneheaded friend can tell you more but TTFN ladies."

Hands in both pockets Anzodth would go to the closest window, stepping up and then leaping out from the edge. His presence faded quickly and after it did the one of the aforementioned 'boneheaded friend' would emerge from a dark corner of the room. He and Tundra seemed to have a shared love of dramatic entrances.. The lich would gravitate towards the bed, still dressed as he was on the day of the battle against Vortogk.

"Finally awake are we? That's good.. You only slumbered for a few cycles of the planet."

Weiss knew better that he was lying but the look on Ruby's face was priceless before he shook his sceptre left and right and assured her he was ony jesting.

"Please tell me I get the smart you today.."

"I did promise that we would discuss past events in greater detail after the situation was resolved Ms. Schnee, and I always make good on my oaths.." Gravespire said as he cast away that sceptre in a puff of smoke to be replaced by a white book embroidered with gold, adorned with a cross on the cover that he dared not touch. His hands were even enveloped in thick plates of bone to hold it with instead of touching directly.

"Make yourselves comfortable, I have quite a few things to discuss."

"Make it short, I only have two questions." Weiss said rather curtly, sitting back down next to Ruby as they both gave him their attention.

"Very well. What would you ask of me?"

"First.. Who are you really?" The supposed 20000 year old king of a forgotten city was a bit of a stretch for her imagination. Was he really that old? And what of this Hellsreach Vortogk mentioned?

Placing the book on the closest part of the bed Gravespire would tap his nonexistent chin. "..Many many years past this castle indeed used to be the heart of a castle town called Hellsreach. Not related to the demon world for your information it was a shadowy city populated almost entirely by supernaturals, predominantly undead like us and the Zahne family who ruled this castle since ancient times. They had always been in the highest echelons of society though I stood at the top as the king of Hellsreach. I had done so for ages as a lich but after the merging of their family with yours they started getting.. Rebellious."

"Rebellious? I know my father isn't one to take orders from anyone, so I take it he disputed your rule?" Weiss asked.

"Oh naturally. It wasn't that he outright contested me as king but rather boldly declared and acted as if their castle might as well be its own independent nation. Refusing to pay taxes or provide military support.. We pretty much skipped negotiations and went straight to war. After the fighting started the citizens that weren't on either side started evacuating and the battlefield quickly centered around the castle. I soundly defeated the masters of the Zahne family but your father bested me in single combat. As for my legions, they more or less were deadlocked and couldn't breach their defences without my help."

"So.. You went to war with my father. Of all people.."

Gravespire nodded.

"I'm surprised you survived."

"We fought about as fiercely as I hear he and the shadow demon did. Though not as thick and strong the undead essence in the air of Hellsreach was enough for me to utilize about the same levels of necromancy, and though this was long ago Tundra was almost as strong as he is today. Our battle was devastating and lasted much longer than a laughable few minutes. I daresay if we tried it again in this era there would not be a city or a castle left to occupy."

"Wait if you two fought then how come you're working together now? He's not mad about the deaths you caused?"

"R-Ruby!"

Ruby puckered her lips and let out a whispered 'oops'. Weiss actually hadn't thought about that though. It was ancient history by now but Gravespire was probably responsible for quite a few casualties in the families.. It made her upset to think about it but given the lengths he went to to resurrect Ruby, plus he saved their lives at Reaper's Escape.. She couldn't hate him for it now. Still.

"Oh he of course left no uncertainty that I only had two options, death or the shackles of servitude. Again I chose the latter and lost a great deal of my power and my original body, which Ms. Schnee was kind enough to help me restore." He paused long enough to hear her huff before continuing. "But I've been slowly rebuilding my army and gathering undead essence, and now I have my true form once again."

"So.. Are you.. You're not planning to-"

"Ha! Heavens no silly girl." Gravespire interrupted Ruby before she could finish. "I am akin to a demigod of my own realm now. I care not for Hellsreach anymore. Not that there's anything to rule as Tundra made sure to freeze every piece of my old territory and shatter it to nothing out of spite. Yet even with my now loosened shackles still being in place I am content. Besides we have greater issues to deal with than old rivalries. I dare to guess that's what your second question is about..?" The lich picked up that bright tome and held it up at chest level, looking at Ruby with his glowing hollows.

"For starters, what Ruby really is and why she was being hunted by that demon. He said something about killing off people like her and some war between angels and demons."

A good question, which is why he had brought that book in the first place. Opening it to a page marked with a red strip of cloth the lich read over it briefly before answering.

"I did some research. Ruby is unquestionably an angel's descendant, as evidenced by her new form.. However.."

However? Weiss and Ruby both looked confused, curious as well.

"I cannot explain why her wings aren't pure white or why she has a scythe instead of something more normal.. The hourglass insignia upon her forehead is an indisputable icon of status as a reaper but she propagates light and has a divine aura."

"Reaper? Like Death?" The vampiress asked.

"Yes, and no. Death is the entity that governs the cycles of death, life, and rebirth. The reapers are merely the anointed executors of its will. Unless your soul is passing on into the afterlife or you're someone like myself I can promise you'll never see one." The lick explained before turning the book towards them. The two females leaned forward for a closer look at the illustration presented of a classical robed figure with a hood and scythe in hand, black wings open to their widest possible span. When he flipped the pages it was to a drawing of an armored angel wielding a winged sword and shield, their equipment much similar to Ruby's when she was under the effects of the Archangel's Bane.

"So.. You think she's descended from one of these reapers AND an angel."

"Wait, my dad used a scythe but he was human. I'm sure of it." Ruby interjected.

"Angels, demons, reapers, they can take human shapes."

"But my mom said his aura was the same as a normal human's, and if he was one then Raven-"

"So was yours until just a day or two ago." Gravespire turned the book back around and set it aside on the bed. He'd press the tips of his fingers together and clack them a few times. "The blood was just sealed along with the magic but now I can feel it. There's a lode of undead essence in your rather bright energies. I can't give you any answers on what secrets your family might be hiding, but I think it's likely your wight body couldn't handle the unsealing of your powers because the Archangel's Bane clashed with your reaper half and that caustic reaction tore it apart from the inside out. But now it's properly melded and contained in your angel body. All of we discussed to a good length before you awoke and we've not drawn any solid conclusions.. ... ..I sense your suspicions. The demon that was here earlier, Anzodth? You can trust him."

Ruby bit her lip while Weiss merely scoffed. "But he's a demon."

"He held the cross just like you did, and he IS the reason your father and I managed to get into the demon realm to save her again in the first place." That stopped Weiss' objections before they started and she conceded.

"..Fair enough. I am grateful but why? If Vortogk was trying to kill off the angels to take revenge or something why would he help us?"

Why? Well he didn't really have a perfect answer for that. Gravespire simply restated what Anzodth had claimed, that he harbored no grudge about the war and didn't want to see the human world overrun if their greatest enemies were all eradicated. According to the male it had been before both his and the shadow demon's times so as far as he was concerned it was old news. News that most of the 'Goetia' didn't want to risk repeating hence why Vortogk was likely operating under orders in secret and that he had to find/draft help in the human world to accomplish them. Not everyone was for the idea of instigating another potentially disastrous war but a few had mad machinations of taking revenge on the angels.

"Well I guess that's a good enough reason."

"Ruby.. Fine, I suppose I'll accept that. So.. Should we be worried? They're going to try again aren't they." Weiss asked, hands tightening on handfuls of the sheets under her. It was comforting to hear that all three of them, Gravespire, Anzodth, and Tundra, would be keeping tabs on things as best they could. After all the elimination of the angels would pose a threat to everyone and the world they lived in. They likely wouldn't stop at the angels' destruction but with Ruby's new existence as a heavenly host there was a slim chance they'd act immediately, if at all. They had little to fear in the present and near future.

"Still, that does not mean get lazy. You have an incredible gift young lady. I suggest you hone it, rather than let it collect dust. The demons of the dark world aren't the only things creeping about in the shadows as you very well know by now."

Ruby held the cross necklace tight and looked down at her lap. Hone her gifts.. Without warning Gravespire rose up and took the book with him, a swirling portal of shadow forming below his feet.

"You know where to find me Ms. Schnee. Remember my words."

As he descended and disappeared from sight Weiss would plop back over Ruby's legs, the back of her hand on her forehead. Gods she could stay like that for a good while. Something was nagging her though and she realized as she took in the angel's scent that it was desire. A desire to feed. However no matter even if that brilliant cross didn't burn her drinking the blood of a divine being sounded tantamount to suicide. Catching the way the vampiress was shooting her a wistful look Ruby would use a finger to tug aside her gown's collar and bare her neck. "Go ahead."

"Don't be absurd! Do you want me to die?"

"Of course I don't! Why would you even ask that? ..Oh." Ruby blanked, mentally hitting herself.

"You dolt. I might as well drink holy water!"

"But.. This thing didn't hurt you. You didn't fry like a fish when you touched me either." She shook the holy artifact at her, wings twitching a little. This caused Weiss to inch away a little bit and swipe at her cross like a cat before stopping to think. ..Was the effects of her blessing really subjective to her own will? Very hesitantly and in small increments when Weiss put both hands on her shoulders she cautiously lowered her fangs to Ruby's flawless skin..

 **...**

 ***the region of Vale, residential district***

 **...**

Inside the Branwen/Xiao Long household it was quiet, save for music playing at a low volume from the radio next to the refrigerator. Tonight's dinner was cooking on the stove inside a pot as a woman stood by it, stirring the contents with a wooden spoon. An empty bottle of what smelled like alcohol was laying on its side against another half empty one. Still in the stages of accepting her niece's death she was struggling just to get up out of bed sometimes. Were it not for her husband, her daughter, and the two kids on the way she wouldn't have had the strength to do it.

But she had to stay strong for them. A parent should never live to see a day where they have to bury their own children, even adoptive, but sometimes life was cruel. Sometimes it threw hardballs that you just couldn't catch.

Eying the partially full bottle of vodka after turning off the burner Raven listened as Taiyang and Yang talked in the living room. Her hand had started to drift towards it but just when her fingers were at the neck she paused, then drew them back. Another moment of consideration later she grabbed both and threw the empty one away, putting the second back in the fridge before shoving it shut.

At least they understood. Her anguish was great but her intoxicated state relatively calm until she eventually broke down one of many times every occasion she drank, which was often still. They coped with it together and gods bless them for putting up with her sorry state over and over. Even the employees of the Xiao Long cafe offered their condolences at the funeral, running the place in either of their absences.

As Raven put both hands out on the front of the refrigerator to support herself there was a knock on the door. At this hour.. Who in the world could it be? Blake wasn't supposed to be back for another hour. Calling to Taiyang and Yang that she had it the woman started for the front of the house. A bit unsteady but she didn't stumble. A little bit of alcohol wasn't going to wreck her motor skills to that extent. Her brother didn't inherit _all_ of their parents' alcohol tolerance despite how it had seemed at times.

When she reached the door it was opened to the face of.. The white haired girl from the cafe, in her usual white dress and certainly not the vampiric mantle most commonly seen at the castle. The vampiress West? Wise? Oh right, Weiss.

"Y-You.."

"Ms. Branwen."

"..If you've finally come to pay respects, I appreciate it, but I really don't want to talk right now. Her.. She's not buried here.."

"I haven't-"

"Please, just go."

Raven attempted to push the door shut but Weiss stopped it easily with her hand, huffing.

"Jeez.. Is the rest of your family just as stubborn as you are?"

The woman's grip slacked in confusion, starting to get a little annoyed under the assumption Weiss was speaking to her when she saw her pushed aside by- No..

Too much vodka tonight. No more. Not if she was going to be hallucinating things like Ruby's angel come from the heavens to say one final goodbye. Her inner self just couldn't let it go could it?

When that 'hallucination' leapt and latched onto her wailing and crying she stood there, completely shocked. Her skin was warm, her eyes the same sheen of silver, her voice so real. The touch she felt like it was really there. There were rapid footsteps down the hall, two pairs belonging to the other two Xiao Longs. Were they coming to comfort her in her breakdown-induced delusions? Ruby's name came up constantly and that's when Raven finally realized that her dear niece was alive, alive and well and holding onto her like she'd never let go. She joined Ruby and Yang in their sobbing fits as they came together in a group embrace, leaving Taiyang to stare flabbergasted at Weiss and Ruby's new appearance.

With a soft smile Weiss stepped past them and in front of the blonde male. "I hope you don't have work in the morning because this is going to be a long story.."

 **...**

 ***around 6 years later***

 **...**

The werecat bobbed her rear left and right in rhythm to the song playing on the stereo as she walked through the house. Everything looked good and right in its place. Sure the memories of what transpired there would never be forgotten but the old Rose residence was now cleared and rebuilt in all its former glory. After all as Ruby elected to stay with Raven and Taiyang and there not really being enough space for her mate and the twins they decided they'd just move into her old home. They wouldn't have had the money to fix it up let alone make it livable if not for Weiss graciously offering the financial support needed, the sum of which she refused to accept any kind of repayment for. After all they were practically family now.

Most of said family was gathered next door in preparation for a get-together dinner and with a flick of her tail the woman got ready to leave, standing in front of a tall mirror for one final check. Ears were clean and brushed, the top set anyway. Hair up in a thick horsetail.. Nothing very formal on but not super casual either. After all, Weiss' _parents_ were going to be there as well. Or should one say _Weiss_ ' parents.

Satisfied with her appearance the werecat would wink at her reflection before sauntering away, tail poking at the stereo on the way out. Oh wait the kids- Right, they left early with the wife.

 _"-looking for a show, where they go hardcore and there's glitter on the fl-"_ *click*

The house was locked, keys spun on her finger before being slipped into her pocket. A short crossing of lawns later she was at the Branwen household's door and upon reaching out to knock she found herself tapping at air because it was opened just a split second prior.

"C'mon sis, really? Spying on me again?"

"Felt you coming a mile away. You really should learn to control your aura better Yang. Blake's already got Qiu and Hefina with her by the way."

"Pfft, I'll pass, and she sent me a text earlier so I wouldn't freak out thinking I lost them. What smells so good in here Rubes?"

Two kids later and pushing her late twenties Yang Xiao Long still had her bombshell body in pretty good condition. Right now she was wearing a pair of jeans and a three button shirt, the top one undone and just a hint of makeup. Her lilac eyes shifted between human and catlike as she decided between them, settling on the latter when she heard a pair of childlike voices and the pitter patter of their feet as they raced through the rooms. Her ears picked up another female's voice chastising them as she gave chase and Yang would laugh, her younger sister apparently watching the action through the walls somehow to join in.

Ruby herself had certainly grown in the past half decade. Though attributed to a delayed reaction in her angelic blood nobody was sure why her physical body kept aging but after seeing no change in her height or general frame in the past year, it looked to be that the ageless factor finally kicked in to leave her around 22-23 in appearance. Her hair currently came down a few inches more and as her sister had humorously noted she had started to get more womanly curves, seen but not openly displayed by a still somewhat modest v-neck shirt and a skirt that came just above her knees. The signs of her supernatural heritage were not disguised and in full view, the necklace hanging around her neck as it always did unless she was doing something like taking a shower or sleeping. It wasn't the only piece of jewelry she was sporting nowadays as a silver ring with a ruby stone set in the center sat on her right ring finger. The partner of a gold ring with a white diamond that a certain vampiress wore.

"Something dad came up with last week. It's reeaally good. I hid all the garlic salt from him though."

"From what I heard the worst that'd do to any of 'em is itch a little." Yang said with a grin. Ruby just said something off to the side about needing more than garlic to drive them off before following her into the kitchen. Up on the stove was a large pot along with a multitude of other things, all letting off an aroma of homecooked goodness that was starting to make the both of them a little hungry. Were it not for the ladle-wielding swordswoman defending her territory they might have teased the idea of sneaking a taste or two. One of them had already felt the wrath of an oven mitt earlier and didn't want to tempt fate when she had an actual weapon in her hands. Hearing Blake run back through another part of the house Yang would roll her eyes and move in that direction.

"So where is Weiss anyway? Dragging her parents over?"

"She said they'd be here soon. I just hope they dress normal.. I mean, not their kind of normal. Not that I don't like the style but-"

"Ruby." Yang interrupted. "You have wings growing out of your back and crosses on your face. Kinda hard to talk about normal."

She just playfully hit her sister in the shoulder as two small creatures tore past them. A third taller one with medium length black hair came after to catch her rambunctious children and Yang would separate from Ruby to go help. A few minutes later there'd be another knock on the door that the brunette went to go answer. Whose aura- Where was it- How had they snuck-

Oh, Weiss.

"Sorry for the delay. My mother and father will be here soon and Winter's on her way. Gods wonder how we're going to fit everyone inside. I went ahead to.. Hang out."

"We made it work somehow and all the stuff's put away so relax." Ruby rolled her eyes, opening the door for Weiss as she slipped inside. Unlike Ruby and a minor annoyance to her she didn't age at all which couldn't be helped due to her vampirism. Her wear was a bit more classy than theirs simply because of habit, a light blue dress this time with a pearl choker and short blue gloves and heels. That snow white hair was up in a bun and her eyes both an icy cyan color.

"Well excuse me princess for wishing to ensure that my vampire parents are comfortable in the home of vampire killers." She said with a snark, smiling and telling Ruby it was something she already knew when the woman went to state that they only killed bad ones. "I know. If they didn't understand they wouldn't be coming in the first place."

"Funny you call ME a princess, heh. ..Still feels kinda awkward with them being in White Flower.." Ruby muttered.

"Someone has to keep the degenerates in line so they won't give the rest of us a worse image I suppose, and I've seen how Ms. Branwen fights. I can only imagine how your scruffy-headed uncle is in battle."

"Well before he settled down he _was_ a monster slayer. Did I ever show you his red dragon suit? Ooh all the stories he used to tell me about Vacuo~. When my real dad still told me stories he said Zwei was a fighting dog too. Before he disappeared.. ..*sigh* Why, Zwei?" Casting a forlorn look back towards the door she then started on how Qrow and Taiyang used to spar out back and they'd watch, sometimes taking bets.

Weiss shook her head with a smile. Over Ruby's amusing rambling she slipped her hand into hers, expertly dodging and magically snagging the little twin terrors by their collars when they came racing past again. Plucking them from their shadowy posts Yang would carry them off, the angel and vampiress exchanging humored looks before following after her.

Life had treated them all well over the years. Ruby's return was a major shock to her friends and family, her reason kept a secret except from close individuals. Even still to this day she worked the Xiao Long cafe or babysat her sister's kids. Her forehead mark was covered by a bandage when she went out, wings bound tightly to her back and the crosses explained away as something she did as part of a phase. It didn't stop her from receiving odd looks from the occasional otherworldly customer though. Like they could feel..

Weiss opted to move back home to Atlas rather than remain in the Zahne castle, offering Ruby the chance to come live with her. Commitments and family ties kept her tied to Vale but she found times to go see her and spend time with her wife, the two having gotten married just a year after they met. Weiss in turn had no such restrictions and was usually either here or there.

King Gravespire still very rarely left his realm now that he had the freedom to do so within the confines of that castle, personally taking on the task of Ruby's education in her magic the best he could where Raven and Taiyang trained her with the blade. They'd been even more shocked to discover that Ruby and Summer were angel descendants but when questioned about being part reaper Raven legitimately didn't have an answer. It was the first she'd heard of such a thing, Qrow possibly being in a similar situation as Ruby about having dormant supernatural blood? None of the Branwens had ever shown reaper powers and if they had them there was no sign like Ruby's eyes. His fascination with the scythe came from simply liking the concept of the eponymous Grim Reaper when he was a teen according to him and Raven always preferred a sword.

As for Anzodth he apparently contacted Tundra once in a blue moon to inform him of any odd movements or rumors on the winds. So far, while word spread like wildfire of Ruby's identity as an angel capable of wielding the Archangel's Bane and was a hotly discussed topic among the residents of the demon realm, from the commons to the Goetia itself, the most prominent thing heard was that 'it was just best to leave things be'. After all word spread of Vortogk's downfall as well and he _had_ been a high ranked demon in his own right. The credit might have all gone mostly to Ruby for it but Tundra and Gravespire's presences didn't go unnoticed either and that made some start to think trying to mess with the human world might be more dangerous than trying to take over the light world. But.. There still were dissenting opinions. No action that could be seen but then again perhaps like Vortogk they were operating in expertly hidden secrecy..

None of that was on the forefront of either of their minds at the moment. Right now their only concern was to enjoy the night that was to come. Hand in hand once more they walked down the hall, treasuring every second they had in this peace.

* * *

 _Hooooly football bats that was a long ride. I mean.. Wow. Look at that total word count, look at the number of chapters, and look at DEM STATS. Over a hundred reviews, just about 80 favorites, and almost 140 follows. I.. I'm speechless. I think I might actually be doing something right. Hope I can keep it up and you'll all tag along with me! It's got almost 14.5k views too and I really wanna hit 15k for an epic milestone. Hopefully most of that isn't someone sitting there and refreshing the page a bunch, haha._

 _Before anyone starts, YES I TIMESKIPPED. The complaints about the last one were entirely founded and now ten chapters later it's fixed. This one.. I'm not writing 6 years worth of only slightly relevant but not plot-crucial filler. Maybe one interquel (that's so now a word) story or something, I still plan on that special epilogue when I get feedback on the settings for it I posed in the pre-story A/N, Blake and Yang's own adventure will be done at some point, and the intermission story set before Red Snow will be done at some point too. I don't know when as my muse is acting indecisive on whether to finally take a break from this universe and do something else or start work on the rest of this project. I could always start it and take a break to write a small something or start another one but eeeh I don't like doing that.._

 _For right now though, enjoy the true official ending of Red Snow and you all on the train to the continuation!_

 _Inspectre Offline._

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

 **...**

The air was cold high in the clouds over Vale yet the shadow shrouded entity didn't seem fazed in the slightest. Feathery wings darker than the night around them kept it stationary, seen only as a result of the illumination provided by reflecting moonlight from the oversized blade of a serrated scythe edge. Wrapped literally in a shadow draped around them like a cape they stood in the air, that weapon over one shoulder as they crouched to get a better view of the world below them. Their face was obscured as was the entire surface of their body by a thin layering of darkness giving them the appearance of a genderless statue with naught but glowing red eyes and sleeked back spikes that looked like hair.

They had been in this position for a solid ten minutes before extending a free palm, gathering fragments of a materialized auroral crystal making a perfect sphere through which something came into view like a smoky screen.

There were sounds of fighting, muffled and distorted. Sounds of blades tearing through flesh and the dying screams of several people before the trademark effect of exploding ashes. The snarls of a beast could also be heard briefly as fang and claw aided in their demise. This conflict lasted for about a minute and then died down. When it did the image cleared and two faces could be discerned.

"Done?"

 _"Yeah, ran into some trouble but we had it handled."_

 _"I wouldn't even call it that. Distracting at best. Besides, Orthrus did most of the work."_

"Is it there?"

..Silence. That made the scythe wielder nervous.

"..Did you find-"

 _"Gone."_

More silence. Then a pistol gunshot as a female voice exclaimed _"Whoops, missed one."_.

"Come again?"

 _"It's not here. If they were after the same thing we were then we were both late."_ This was not the answer that one wanted, not by a long shot.

"..Do what now?"

An agitated huff came from the female as she attempted to wrest what was likely their own crystal orb from her male partner. Little quips of 'give me that' and 'hand it over' as well as 'back off, I'm on the phone!' could be heard before the next outburst forced had the winged one flinching.

 _"IT'S. NOT. HERE. RETARD. OPEN YOUR EARS."_

They covered their head with both hands, grumbling about how she didn't have to shout as they cupped the bottom of the orb again.

"Great.. More problems.. Orthrus, tell me you got a trail buddy." A short low whine was another answer he didn't want. "Ugh.. I need a drink."

 _"You need to go to an AA meeting man."_  
 _"I think he needs to get laid so he can focus."_  
"One thing at a time, except the second one. That's quitter talk."

 _"We'll be around. You still want us to..?_ "

They paused, looking back down at the streets and homes below. Nodding the shadowy figure would start spinning the orb on a forefinger. The image inside remained perfectly in place.

"Yeah. Just don't overdo it. Let me know how things go. I'd do it myself but-"

 _"You can't get directly involved right now. We know. We have this under control."_

"Thanks.. I owe you two a lot."

 _"We're not doing this just for personal reasons, we know what's at stake."_ The two of them said with adamance in their voices. As the connection was prepared to be cut a few deep barks came from the orb.

"I wish I could but I can't. So.. I'm gonna go. Orthrus, it's time you went back home. They miss you."

 _"*bark*"_

 _"Yeah we're on our way, stop chewin' on me."_ The male laughed, the shrieks of grinding blades drowning him out before footsteps and a burst of flames echoed in their wake. _"This is gonna be fun I can tell."_  
 _"I'm ready to see what that 'thing' is capable of. It's supposed to be able to destroy darkness right?"_  
 _"So the fables go."_

There was a last period of silence and then the female started chuckling confidently.

 _"Alright.. Put your big boy pants on and grab your wheaties. We're moving out."_

"Don't get yourselves killed." The scythe wielder said rather jokingly.

 _"Pfft, as if. Worry about yourself Qrow."_

The orb dispersed into wisps of black energy as the male's wings spread out, taking him through the clouds and off into the horizon.


	17. Last Reviews & Update

_Inspectre Online._

 _*points like Phoenix Wright* HOLD IT._

 _First off, this isn't a new chapter per se so don't get excited. Secondly, as of writing this.. 114 reviews, 142 followers, 82 favorites, and I somehow broke the 15k view mark! I'm not bragging, honest, I'm just happy. Happy and maybe a little bit supah proud of myself._

 _Order of business numéro uno. My muse is strongly aiming towards the interquel (again totally a word) story, the M+ extra and the sequel I will mentally work on in the meantime as I already have the intermission story roughly laid out. Focuses on Qrow and Summer, and it will have a little sauciness in it just to satisfy a certain section of my readers since I'm not doing the extra yet. *sharp eagle gaze* Also answers some questions and mainly delves into story before Red Snow. Also also covers points leading near to it so.. For those of you who have read this story (what the McCrap are you doing here if you haven't?) you know it's gonna get bad. Emotionally speaking. Or maybe not. Maybe you're a soulless monster like the Pyro._

 _At some point we're revisiting the deaths of Qrow and Summer present-tense basically is what I'm saying. Early warning for the overall story, gore, language, violence, mature situations. Tragedy/Supernatural but I'm not lying about what I said before because *LOUD DRAGONFORCE PLAYING OVER SPOILERS* so y'know. Silver linings. I don't write tragic endings, just moments._

 _So this chapter is gonna be answering ending reviews. I'd prefer any additional comments/questions directed towards my inbox via PM but you can leave an additional review here which I'll answer via PM. The chapter AFTER this will be me marking it complete and letting all of you know I have published the first chapter of the aforementioned story. I may or may not work on other things in the meantime but here we go!_

 _At RealTerminal: Pretty much._  
 _Yeah that's gonna be interesting to write out._

 _At Legolas Dragon Ranger: It's huge because it's the closer!_  
 _Yes she is, yes he is. Eh I tried to keep things generally distaff. It's clearly representative of Heaven and Hell but it's not exactly that._  
 _*shakes head*_  
 _Had to throw that in there and yes I am doing a sequel. This epic might be my first flagship work._

 _At Beloved Nightmare Union: Official ending of the first part of the story, there will be a sequel. The timeskip eeeh I could have done that bit but I didn't want to drag the ending out. Besides I can always explore those moments in sidestories. The reunion will be explored as well in Yang and Blake's sidestory, that's why I didn't detail it._  
 _Well originally Weiss was staying in the Zahne family castle but moved back to her homeland Atlas. Ruby occasionally visits and Weiss often visits, but they'll be together together by the sequel. A minor timeskip (maybe a month or so?) to move into it with._  
 _Fiiiine._  
 _Half angel and half reaper. Sounds absurd but she is the biological child of a reaper and an angel descendant and with the latter having dormant angel blood in their veins.. Yeah. ..I know how it sounds but work with it._  
 _Looooools._  
 _Yeah a chapter to notify all the Followers of this story that the interquel is up. The sequel will have more of what this story was like but won't kick the action right off._  
 _Yep._

 _At BlakJakXXI: Ah. Thanks for clarifying._  
 _It's like the Sanctified Armor from AQW in appearance, at least that's the closest thing I could think of to compare it to. It's incredibly powerful against evil or twisted beings, hence why the cross only mere burnt Tundra and had no effect on Weiss or Anzodth. Because they're dark creatures but not malicious. ..Except for Tundra 'cause he's old school and still adapting to the times._  
 _Yeah one thing about the human world is that it's extremely unpredictable and diverse. What you see on the surface isn't everything. And naturally Ruby got her revenge. Wouldn't have it any other way._  
 _When the Archangel's Bane started activating and her angel blood awakened it reacted quite negatively to being in that kind of body, as it's said only human offspring ever show signs of having it via the silver eyes/seals. The actual kicker was her reaper half, and they mixed together perfectly. Like Coca-cola and Mentos._  
 _I put the epilogue there on purpose, though you have a point. We'll have a similar intro in the actual sequel's opening. I plan to possibly summarize the events of Red Snow in it maybe? I don't want to completely alienate new readers in case they pick it up without/before reading Red Snow. And 16 was the final chapter._  
 _The extra piece will be pre-timeskip I'm thinking, the proposal/wedding idea an idea for a separate piece as well._

 _At Rapter267: No problem!_  
 _Fair enough but that's what I meant. Pretty much any Enabler I write would have them being unrelated, unless I'm reeeaaally bored and have muse for nothing else._  
 _Of course it'd be less rapey, they're in love. Unlike before where yeah Weiss was just looking for a quick dinner and a show._  
 _"Hot front page news! President Rapter is a lolicon!" *laughs* That'd be messed up. Also the word you're looking for I think is 'consentacles' but yes. Hardly anyone ever uses them that way._

 _At GrnDrgnzrd: Yep! If you think though, Qrow's a reaper and Raven is supposed to be his sister. Yet she doesn't know anything about the reapers or having any deathly powers? (Keep in mind if she had them she woulda totally used them when Ruby and Weiss were being attacked by Crossbreakers several chapters back) Some shenanigans going on.._  
 _Eh I thought it was cute but it was too abrupt of a rushed ending._  
 _Actually I plan on that going the opposite way, Ruby getting payback (consenting and in good nature, naturally) on Weiss for it. Then things flip around._  
 _Hope to see you there!_

 _At Fate-chan2015: I will let the people eat cake, and have their sequels!_

 _At Andilite: There are Nightcores of RWBY songs? Expected. Find me some instrumental versions and I shall give ye a shoutout._  
 _General opinion by now seems to be frinky pre-timeskip so that's what I'm rolling with. Not sure how you can get frinky with feathers or fangs (maybe tickle play and I guess Weiss could feed on her while they're doing it)._  
 _Nah. Intermission story and then IDK. Sequel or something else before I burn myself out on this series._  
 _You'll find out. DUNDUNDUN.._

 _At djjohns94: Does it matter what ring finger the wedding ring goes on? I legit don't know if it does or not. Otherwise I dunno what you mean._  
 _Qrow is technically alive as a reaper, more on that to come._  
 _The story isn't over yet! There's gonna be more to it! Not in this Story but in separate works._

 _Inspectre Offline._


	18. WOO INTERQUEL

Inspectre Online.

Yo soliek word up. That interquel is totally live right now aaand you should totally go check it out. It's short but serves as a good kickstarter. ..Yeah that's pretty much it. Any further reviews/questions/comments on this story don't hesitate to PM me about. Laters.

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	19. WOO (mini) EPILOGUE

Inspectre Online.

Just another FYI, and maaaaaybe an excuse to bump but then again I promised y'all a little something after the story so just to let you all know.

The extra epilogue (tastily M+ rated) is up now under the name Red Snow: White Shadows because I was a naming genius at 1 in the morning when I uploaded it. Hope you enjoy!

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